


HAND BOOK of 
ALUMNI WORK 



HAND BOOK of 
ALUMNI WORK 



Prepared by a Committee 



WILFRED B. SHAW, (Michigan) 
EDWIN R. EMBREE. (Yale) 
ARTHUR H. UPHAM. (Miami) 
E. BIRD JOHNSON, (Minnesota) 

Chairman 



{or 



THE ASSOCIATION OF 
ALUMNI SECRETARIES 



Published by the 

ASSOCIATION 
1917 



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nn/-^5 rep-rvt>te<^ • c£> mote :att^cl^e<4 "Vo copy 2: 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

I. A Short Survey of Alumni Organization. . . . 5-17 

II. History of the Association of Alumni Sec- 
retaries 18-22 

III. Organization and Constitution 23-29 

IV. Financing the Association 30-33 

V. The Alumni Secretary 34-39 

VI. The Alumni Publication 40-52 

VII. The Class Secretary 53-64 

VIII. The Local Alumni Club 65-81 

IX. Alumni on the Governing Board of Institu- 
tions 82-85 

X. The Alumni Association of the Smaller En- 
dowed College 86-95 

XL Alumni Activities 96-114 

XII. Alumni Meetings 115-133 

XIIL Miscellaneous Alumni Activities 134-148 

XIV. Pertinent Paragraphs 149-156 

A detailed index to chapters XI, XII and XIII will be found 
on pages 157, 158. 



• FOREWORD, 

The collecting of material for this book was begun nearly 
two years ago by two secretaries who felt that there was 
need of such a publication. When the Association of Alumni 
Secretaries met at San Francisco,, in the summer of 1915, it 
was discovered that others also had reached the conclusion 
that there was need for such a manual. The question was 
taken up at that meeting and it was decided that the Associa- 
tion should undertake to publish such a book. A committee 
was appointed to gather material and put it into shape for 
the printer. 

In compiling this book the committee has endeavored 
to state general principles which a limited experience has 
shown to be well founded, and to arrange all material obtain- 
able in form to be instantly available for the use of any one 
interested in alumni problems and alumni work. 

The committee realizes how inadequate such a book must 
necessarily be, but hopes that it may serve a useful purpose 
and may also serve as a basis for a fuller and more adequate 
publication along similar lines in later years. 



I. A SHORT SURVEY OF ALUMNI ORGANIZATION. 

Alumni organization in American colleges and universities 
is a comparatively recent development. Though the gradu- 
ates of the earlier American colleges had a certain influence 
on the policies and growth of their alma mater, it is only 
within the last twenty-five years that these organizations have 
become a factor of any great importance. In fact, this devel- 
opment is so recent that its significance is not sufficiently 
realized, least of all' perhaps by the alumni themselves. When 
it is considered how vitally alumni influence enters into the 
life of our colleges and universities at the present time, the 
small space devoted to these organizations in most university 
histories and works on higher education in America is sig- 
nificant. It suggests at least just how much of a departure 
from those long educational precedents which lie behind our 
college system, is this habit of, graduates to organize for fel- 
lowship and for the good of their respective institutions. 

The desire to perpetuate college friendships and to revive 
memories of college days was undoubtedly the underlying 
cause which first brought the alumni together in these or- 
ganizations, and not a few associations have progressed no 
further in their activities. Gradually, however, the alumni 
organization came to play a more important part in the devel- 
opment of the college. Nothing was more natural than for 
the authorities to look to the successful alumni when adding 
to the membership of its governing board, and just as nat- 
urally the organization of the alumni, either directly or in- 
directly, and almost invariably after a struggle with estab- 
lished customs, furnished the machinery for making the 
selection. The college authorities also came to recognize 
other possibilities in the alumni associations ; use was made 
of them in securing financial assistance in the form of endow- 
ments and alumni funds, new buildings and equipment. Their 
aid was also invoked in efforts to increase the attendance. 



6 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

Thus it has come about that while the alumni have come to 
take an ever increasingly important part in the life of the 
institution, the chief direction of such activity has come from 
the administration, and the chief executive alumni officer has 
been very often a paid officer of the institution. 

It is only recently that the alumni have organized, not 
as an adjunct of the college administration, but as a body 
designed to formulate independent alumni' opinion, and to 
make intelligent alumni sentiment really effective for the good 
of the institution. With this new phase of alumni activity 
came new elements — the alumni-paid secretary, and the alumni 
journal. Practically every college or university in this coun- 
try now has some sort of an alumni publication, either weekly, 
monthly or quarterly, designed to keep the graduates informed 
of the progress of their institution. All the larger institu- 
tions and many of the smaller ones also have an officer who 
devotes all or at least a part of his time to the work. 

This organization of college graduates is distinctively an 
American institution. There is little in European universities 
to correspond, particularly in the continental universities 
where they do not even have a real equivalent to our term 
"alumni." The graduates do not feel the same personal ties, 
nor do they idealize Alma Mater, as does the American grad- 
uate. The reason lies undoubtedly in the differing educa- 
tional systems. In Germany as in France, though the uni- 
versities are self-governing in many particulars, they are es- 
sentially state institutions. A certain amount of university 
training is absolutely essential to enter any of the professions, 
but it is not the degree, or evidence of the work accomplished 
which counts ; the state examination is the all-important thing. 
The fact that, in Germany, at least half of our usual college 
course is provided in the secondary schools, the gymasien 
and the realschulen, gives a greater freedom to the university 
curriculum. There is therefore little or no tendency toward 
hard and fast courses in the universities, leading to a bach- 
elor's degree. The emphasis is placed rather on the teacher 
than upon the university, and the student, because of the 
governmental control of the whole system of education finds 
it easy to pass from one university to another. There is in 



Alumni Organisation 7 

fact no real equivalent to our A. B. degree, and many men 
complete their college work, after a longer or shorter period 
of residence, with no degree. Lacking thus our more rela- 
tively rigid system of undergraduate instruction, there is really 
nothing upon which to build an alumni organization as we 
understand it. 

Whatever sentiment the former student in Germany has 
for his university is expressed through his relationship to 
student and university organizations. The former '^ members 
of the distinctive student social associations, the Corps, the 
Burschenschaften and Land smannschaf ten have very much 
the same feeling of loyalty that the American fraternity man 
feels towards his chapter. They return to the houses in the 
same way and find the traditions and records of the former 
members carefully preserved. For the more studiously in- 
clined there are, too, the various Vereins, such as the Mathe- 
matische Verein and the Philologische Verein, which meet at 
stated periods usually in favored restaurants and whose tradi- 
tions are carefully preserved. But to the university as such 
the former student has no tie. He has no voice in its control, 
and the university makes little effort to keep in touch with 
its former students. 

In France the situation is practically the same, with the 
exception that there are no student organizations which cor- 
respond to the German Corps. The tie between the French 
university and its former students is even more tenuous. 

In English and Scotch universities it is somewhat differ- 
ent. There the returning alumni are organized and have a 
considerable voice in the control of the university. At Ox- 
ford and Cambridge, where traditions have the prestige of 
centuries of growth, the convocations of the different colleges, 
composed of the faculties, the fellows and the holders of the 
master's degree, can exert legislative powers in the conduct 
of the affairs of the college. Only as they act through the 
college, however, have they any voice in the affairs of the 
university. These holders of the A. M. degree are A. B. men 
who have retained their membership in the college through 
the payment of certain fees during a stated period, after which 
they receive the M. A. in course, as has been the practice in 



8 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

the past in this country. This, in effect, produces a body 
of loyal and interested graduates who prove their vital interest 
in the affairs of the various colleges in many a well-attended 
session where warm debates are held upon college policies. 
The alumni of the colleges composing the two universities 
also hold an annaul meeting during the year which in many 
ways corresponds to our alumni reunions in American univer- 
sities at commencement time. Most of the English colleges 
also publish some sort of a journal, which appears annually 
or semi-annually, giving information concerning the former 
students. Otherwise, with the exception of university clubs, 
there is no organization in the two English universities which 
performs the general functions of the alumni association in 
American universities. Systematic organization of reunions, 
local alumni clubs and classes, or the solicitation of funds, is 
for the most part unknown. Our organization, in fact, is 
more nearly paralleled in England by the former students of 
the great public school, where the alumni, known as "old 
boys," meet annually for dinner, publish journals, and in gen- 
eral lay great store on their status as old "Etonians'* or old 
"Paulines." 

With the Scotch universities, such as Glasgow, Edin- 
borough and Aberdeen, and with the English provincial uni- 
versities, such as London, Manchester and Liverpool, which 
are all of more recent organization, the case is quite different. 
There the alumni have a very practical share in the control 
of the university. They are privileged to elect a certain 
proportion of the members of the governing board. In the 
Scotch universities, which may be taken as representative, 
the alumni are known as the General Council, in which all 
holders of a degree are eligible for membership. This body 
has several prerogatives, of which the privilege of electing 
four representatives upon the governing body of the univer- 
sity, the University Court, which consists of fourteen mem- 
bers, is the most important. The faculty also chooses four 
members of this body. The General Council meets twice a 
year, or at the call of the chancellor, and has the privilege of 
electing the Lord Chancellor of the university and also of 
electing ^ member of Parliament. The fact that the latter 



Alumni Organization 9 

prerogative rests with the alumni results in the maintenance 
of careful lists of graduates, which are kept up as a matter of 
course. The alumni or General Council also have the privilege 
of initiating and considering questions of policy, though their 
function in this case is only advisory and subject to review 
and report by the University Court. For the most part the 
Scotch and English universities publish no alumni papers. 
Aberdeen is an exception, however, with a magazine pub- 
lished under the joint auspices of faculty, students, and alumni. 
Plans for the establishment of a similar paper at Glasgow 
were interrupted by the -war. 

But here again the organization of alumni goes little 
further. There is little of the appeal for funds on the grounds 
of personal loyalty or for any other reason except perhaps 
in very recent years. The alumni lists are kept up only for 
what are practically political purposes, and such things as 
a class reunion and a local alumni association are almost 
unknown. 

In American colleges and universities the organization of 
alumni has had a continuous and a fairly consistent growth 
for almost a hundred years. As is natural, the first steps 
were tentative ; in fact, so modest were the early organizations 
that it is difficult to find in the various college histories any- 
thing beyond the date of organization. Though the graduates 
of some of our older institutions were able to make their in- 
fluence felt in various ways, even before the Revolution, it 
was only an informal and unorganized expression of opinion. 
Definite and conscious co-operation of the alumni did not 
begin until the first half of the nineteenth century and then 
only in a few of the oldest universities. 

Although it has proved difficult to find the history of 
alumni organization in many of the earlier American colleges, 
enough information is available to show that the develop- 
ment has followed the general growth of the institution, with 
an acceleration in the more recent universities of the South 
and Middle West corresponding to their recent rapid develop- 
ment. Precise information concerning these early organiza- 
tions is difficult to obtain. Whether in most cases, they had 



10 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

any more specific purposes than good-fellowship and the re- 
newal of^old ties is doubtful. 

In most institutions the first step towards organization 
was a general association of all the alumni, though in some 
cases organization by classes or by local clubs was the rule. 
One of the earliest if not the first organization which has sur- 
vived in its early form, was at Yale, where the system now 
followed was under way as early as 1792. Yale's system dif- 
fers from others, in that it centers about the class organiza- 
tion. There is no general alumni association. The class or- 
ganization therefore came to have greater relative importance 
and the result was the final organization of an association of 
class secretaries and the establishment of a class secretaries' 
bureau which aims to direct the work of the secretaries and 
at the same time take off their shoulders the great amount of 
routine labor of gathering and compiling the biographical and 
statistical material pubHshed in their reports. 

The Yale alumni fund is also organized through the 
classes, with a special officer known as the class agent in 
charge. Since 1792 practically every class has been organized 
with a secretary as the executive officer and the editor of a 
series of records, which now amount to almost 600 volumes, 
not including small pamphlets and address lists. The or- 
ganization of Yale alumni into local associations did not come 
till over sixty years later, when the first local organization 
was effected in 1856. 

The Yale association was organized with the specific 
purpose of holding the members of the classes together and 
enabling them to keep track of one another, and possibly 
keeping them in touch with the affairs of the university. 
There were similar class organizations in many other of the 
early American colleges, but nowhere has this system been carried 
as far or developed as consistently as at Yale. The more 
usual form of organization was the formation of a "society of 
alumni" or "alumni association." Various reasons may be 
assigned to this impulse for a general organization among 
the alumni. In some cases it was the direct result of the 
efforts of the graduates to have some voice in the control of 
the college or university. In other cases it was to obtain the 



Alumni Organization 11 

co-operation and support of the alumni in matters of univer- 
sity policy; in other cases the reason was largely an effort to 
revive college associations and sentiments. One of the earliest 
of these associations was organized at Williams College at 
Commencement time in 1821, when the alumni were organized 
into the Society of Alumni, "that the influence and patronage 
of those it has educated may be united for its support, protec- 
tion and improvement." The purpose of the proposed organi- 
zation was stated by the com.mittee which called the meeting 
together as follows : "The meeting is notified at the request 
of a number of gentlemen, educated at the institution, who are 
desirous that the true state of the college be known to the 
alumni." 

For somewhat different purposes as far as the instruction 
of the committee upon organization is concerned was the soci- 
et}^ of alumni organized at the University of Virginia in 1838. 
This grew out of a request of the board of visitors in 1837 that 
the faculty invite the graduates of the university to deliver an 
oration on the following Fourth of July. Later a committee 
was instructed "to invite the alumni to form a permanent 
society, to offer to graduates an inducement to revisit the seat 
of their youthful studies and to give new life to disinterested 
friendships found in student days." 

The organization at Williams may be taken as a fore- 
runner of many similar organizations in eastern colleges. 
Among other New England colleges, Bowdoin had an alumni 
organization as early as 1840, while x\mherst followed in 1842. 
An Alumni Association of Nassau Hall was organized in 1826 
at Princeton. This organization tried to raise a hundred thou- 
sand dollars in 1832, but had to be satisfied with half that 
amount, which enabled the university, however, to build a new 
telescope and to add, in 1833, three new professors to the uni- 
versity. Under the administration of Dr. McCosh the alumni 
were more systematically organized, and in 1886 he first pro- 
posed an advisory committee to act with the board of trustees. 
This plan was not adopted, however, but in 1900 five alumni 
were made eligible, upon election, to become members of the 
board of trustees of the university. 

Harvard's alumni association was organized in 1840. Here 



12 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

again we have the same effort to introduce alumni representa- 
tion into the administration of the university as one of the 
first tasks the alumni set for themselves. A bill was intro- 
duced in 1854 to take the election of the board of overseers 
out of the hands of the legislature and entrust it to the alumni 
of Harvard College. This failed, but a renewed agitation in 
1865 resulted in a bill providing for the election of thirty over- 
seers by such persons as have received from Harvard College 
the degree of B. A. or M. A., or any honorary degree. 

The first alumni organization at Brown was an Alumni 
Fund Society, in 1823, organized to give prizes for the com- 
mencement speakers. The real alumni organization for gen- 
eral purposes did not come, however, until 1842. At Colum- 
bia, the first alumni organization was effected in 1854, with a 
general reorganization giving the alumni a share in the govern- 
ment of the university in 1908. 

In the South, a Virginia association was organized in 1838. 
Virginia, however, and possibly some of the other southern 
universities were exceptional, in the fact that there was little 
class organization until very recently. 

The rapid development of alumni organization in the East 
was followed by a similar growth in the Middle West, and 
later in the far West. The smaller colleges in Ohio and 
western Pennsylvania were the first to develop, and in some of 
them at least alumni organization followed close upon their 
establishment. In Miami College an alumni association was 
organized as early as 1832, in Denison College in 1839. 

Still later came the state universities, of the middle west, 
one of the most conspicuous developments in American edu- 
cational history. The University of Michigan was established 
as a state university in 1837, though the first class did not 
graduate until 1844. Sixteen years later, in 1860, the first 
alumni association was formed of the graduates of the college. 
Later alumni organizations in the various professional depart- 
ments developed. These different organizations were con- 
solidated in 1897 into one general alumni organization with 
the first alumni secretary whose salary was paid entirely by 
the alumni. The first local organization of Michigan alumni 
was effected at Detroit in 1869. The movement soon spread, 



Alumni Organisation 13 

however, and by 1876 the Michigan alumni as far West as 
San Francisco were organized. The other state universities 
as they were established followed with their own alumni or- 
ganization, Minnesota in 1877, Wisconsin somewhat later in 
1908, so that now practically every state university has a 
flourishing association with an alumni paper and an alumni 
secretary, who in the larger universities gives his whole time 
to alumni propaganda. The universities of the far West and 
Southwest were naturally established much later than those 
of the Middle West; nevertheless it was interesting to note 
that as early as 1865 at California the Society of the Associate 
Aljimni of the Pacific Coast, composed of the graduates of all 
universities living in California, was organized. This was 
followed, in 1872, by the alumni association of the University 
of California. 

It is fair to conclude that by the beginning of the last 
quarter of the nineteenth century the foundations for our pres- 
ent system of alumni organization throughout the country 
were well established. In those universities which were found- 
ed during this period, one of the first tasks of the early grad- 
uates was the formation of some union of the alumni body. 
The tasks set before these early alumni organizations were 
varied. In the East, owing to the fact that practically all the 
universities were privately endowed, and also owing to the 
greater strength of their alumni, the organizations came earlier 
to have greater strength. The first task, in most cases, was 
the establishment of some means of alumni participation in the 
control of the University and the alumni struggles for repre- 
sentation on the Board of Overseers at Harvard, and the Trus- 
tees at Princeton were duplicated at Cornell, at Dartmouth, 
Oberlin and many other institutions. 

In the state universities in the West the problem was dif- 
ferent. There was no question of alumni representation on 
the board in control : the regents of the state universities were 
state officers elected by the people, as at Michigan, or appoint- 
ed by the legislature or governor as in many of the other states. 
Lacking the stimulus of a franchise, the attention of the 
alumni was turned in other directions, and the establishment 
of local associations, the publication of an alumni journal, the 



14 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

organization of classes and class reunions were the immediate 
and obvious steps. The local associations recognized as their 
main function, beyond the fellowship of annual dinners, a local 
propaganda to send as many students as possible to their alma 
mater, and later the establishment of endowment and loan 
funds for needy students. In many of the state universities 
also the alumni found means to express their voice in the con- 
trol of the university through this organization. It is not too 
much to say that the mill tax which forms the main item of 
support of the University of Michigan, and several other state 
universities, has only been made possible through the influence 
of the alumni of the universities throughout the state, particu- 
larly in the representatives of the university in the legislature. 
At the University of Minnesota the alumni influence has been 
effectively employed not only in increasing the income of the 
university but in initiating far-reaching reforms. In one 
alumni campaign for the purchase of much-needed land, neces- 
sary for the future development of the university, the alumni 
found themselves in opposition to the board of regents, and 
after a sharp campaign carried the day. At the University 
of California two years ago the alumni took advantage of the 
initiative and referendum to lay before the state the need of 
the university for several new buildings, and were enabled 
through careful organization to carry through an appropria- 
tion of $1,800,000. 

In concluding this preliminary survey of alumni organi- 
zation one thing may be emphasized. Though practically all 
American colleges and universities have realized the desira- 
bility and at least the potential efficacy of the co-operation of 
their graduates, the methods and immediate aims of alumni 
organization vary widely with the needs of the institution. 
Almost every phase of university administration has some- 
where fallen under the influence of the alumni body, though 
in no university has the total of all the possibilities for prac- 
tical help open to the alumni been realized. It must be obvious 
that there are limitations in the scope of alumni influence, as 
well as wider fields for their activity. It is becoming now a 
task of all alumni associations to find at once their limitations 
and their proper sphere of influence. 



Alumni Organisation 15 

Note: As supplementing the foregoing and as setting 
forth some of the problems involved in the growth of alumni 
activities, we quote the following, from the presidential address 
of Mr. Shaw, of Michigan, delivered before the fifth annual 
meeting of the Association of Alumni Secretaries. — Ed. 



It is all very different now, the seeds sown in the first 
half of the nineteenth century are bearing fruit in this first 
half of the twentieth. This very meeting of accredited Alumi;ii 
representatives is in itself a sufficient evidence of this new 
influence at work in American university life. There is hardly 
an American college or university of any standing but has 
some sort of an alumni organization. Most of them have an 
officer whose duty it is to look after the interests of the alumni. 
The very fact that alumni have interests aside from the inter- 
ests of their Alma Mater is in itself significant. We are here 
to study the various problems which have arisen between 
the college and its graduates. Our very presence is an ac- 
knowledgment of the vitality and the desirability of alumni 
influence, yet it seems fair to examine this movement and to 
endeavor to see as far as it is possible to do so, where and 
how far the movement we are engaged in may carry us. 

It is generally recognized that all American colleges and 
universities are in a period of transition. The old day of the 
narrow humanistic curriculum has passed forever ; everywhere 
we are entering broader educational fields and the process of 
adjustment, with its infinite number of questions is in full 
swing, and every institution is answering the requirements of 
the situation in its own way. Just at present there is no typi- 
cal American university, but it is safe to predict that perhaps, 
at no great distance in the future, from this present era of 
individualism there will emerge several types of educational 
institutions which will become standard all over, the country. 

The great part the alumni are to play in the direction of 
the colleges and universities of the future is the question we 
are more or less unconsciously, perhaps, hammering out right 
now. It is certain that the voice of the alumni is going to 
increase in influence in university councils in the future. Even 
now in universities what the alumni wish has often become 



16 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

the deciding factor in shaping educational policies. Their 
support, sometimes advisory, sometimes financial, and some- 
times political, gives to the alumni voice a weight which 
sometimes carries over that of the administrative officers and 
the faculty. There is no reason to believe that this influence 
will not continue to grow; we all know that the graduates of 
our universities have by no means accomplished all that they 
might for their institutions. To judge by "the standards of 
what has been done by bodies of alumni in different universi- 
ties, the possibilities of alumni activity seem almost unlimited. 

Here lies a great element of strength and at the same time 
a weakness in our educational system. Here is a problem 
which we must recognize as alumni officers working both for 
the interests of our Alma Mater and for the alumni, funda- 
mental in all the questions with which we are called upon to 
deal in the course of our various duties. We are at the focal 
point of a mighty force in the life of our colleges and universi- 
ties. It is only here and there in a speech by some college 
president that the significance of this movement is set forth. 
Anything which limits the progress of the institutions we 
represent, we must all acknowledge is a serious matter. It is 
quite conceivable that in building up an engine of such tre- 
mendous power as the alumni influence may well become, we 
are forging a two-edged sword. We must understand that 
every alumni undertaking is not necessarily good because the 
alumni are behind it, it is all too easy to adopt some such view, 
but if we are true to our highest obligations we must look to 
the ultimate result in the real good of our institutions. 

One of the great charms of the older English universities 
is the life which goes on in the ancient ivy covered quadrangles 
of the colleges preserved by traditions, handed down through 
numberless student generations. But those very quadrangles 
breathe a conservatism which is acknowledged to be one of 
the great defects of many of the English universities, a con- 
servatism which is insisted upon by the graduates, or Convo- 
cation, in face of all attempts at reform. The same restraining 
influence is sometimes laid upon progress in American uni- 
versities ; in effect it is said, let no hand be laid upon the cus- 
toms or curriculum or buildings of one's own student days. 



Alumni Organization 17 

Sometimes it is the other way, too, with us. New and radical 
ideas are launched upon alumni initiative without proper con- 
sideration ; when they fail, and this is important, it is the uni- 
versity and not the alumni body which suffers. 

These of course are extreme, some of the wisest and most 
progressive movements in our American universities have 
come as the result of alumni initiative. This, of course, is the 
ideal before us. The interest and the intelligent support of 
our alumni is one of the greatest sources of strength in our 
colleges and universities. It is our duty and our privilege to 
see that this support is stimulated in every possible way, but 
also to make sure that it is dkerted in ways and through chan- 
nels that make for the ultimate good of our institutions. It 
is sometimes difficult to perceive in the glamour of the imme- 
diate and the obvious the wise course to take, but that is the 
duty laid upon us. So let me suggest, that in considering all 
the questions which we find before us on our program and 
which form the very warp and woof of our work, let us not 
forget the utility and beauty of the completed fabric. 



11. HISTORY OF THE ASSOCIATION OF ALUMNI 

SECRETARIES. 

Organization. 

The Association of Alumni Secretaries was organized at 
the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, February 22, 1913. 
The meeting was called by H. S. Warwick, secretary of the 
Ohio State University association. A preliminary session was 
held on the evening of February 21, in the Ohio Union build- 
ing. This meeting was an informal smoker and reception 
affording the delegates an opportunity to get acquainted. An 
address of welcome was made by President W. O. Thompson. 

The following day, February 22, the delegates formally 
convened at nine o'clock. Mr. Warwick was made chairman 
of the meeting and presided over both the forenoon and after- 
noon sessions. The forenoon was spent discussing alumni 
work being done at the various colleges represented at the 
conference. 

The delegates were the guests of the University at lunch- 
eon in the Ohio Union building. Before resuming the formal 
program of the afternoon, a picture of the delegates was taken. 

There were three formal papers presented at the after- 
noon session, one by W. B. Shaw, Michigan, upon Class 
Reunions ; one by E. B. Johnson, Minnesota, upon The Rela- 
tion of the Alumni Organization to the Governing Board ; and 
Alumni Publications, H. F. Harrington, Ohio State. The dis- 
cussion, in which all delegates participated, centered largely 
around the three formal papers. 

The committee on organization reported, at the morning 
session, recommending a very simple form of organization, 
without constitution or by-laws. By general consent the elec- 
tion of officers was postponed until the close of the meeting. 

The officers elected, at the close of the afternoon session, 
were — President, E. B. Johnson, Minnesota ; first vice presi- 

18 



Association of Alumni Secretaries 19 

dent, H. S. Warwick, Ohio State ; second vice president, 
George B. Compton, Columbia; secretary, Wilfred B. Shaw, 
Michigan ; treasurer, A. T. Prescott, Louisiana. 

There were twenty-three delegates present at this meet- 
ing. A report of the meeting was issued which filled 48 pages. 

The Chicago Meeting. 

The second meeting was held at Chicago, November 21 
and 22, 1913. The attendance at this meeting was forty-eight. 
The membership of the association had grown to sixty-three. 
The first and second sessions were held at the University of 
Chicago in the Reynolds Club. The delegates were guests of 
the University. The evening session, and that of the second 
forenoon, were held at the University Club of Chicago ; the 
closing session was held at the Reynolds Club. 

The conference was a busy one and every moment of time 
was filled with formal papers, or informal discussion, in which 
every delegate present was heard. The program had been 
arranged with the idea of covering in a general way the whole 
field of alumni activity and of emphasizing some of the more 
vital features of such work. The meeting was most profita- 
ble, and the informal discussions of live questions were ex- 
tremely helpful and inspiring. A full report, filling 128 pages, 
was published. 

Officers were elected, as follows : President, E. B. John- 
son, Minnesota ; first vice president, H. S. Warwick, Ohio 
State ; second vice president, E. R. Embree, Yale ; secretary, 
W. B. Shaw, Michigan; treasurer, A. T. Prescott, Louisiana. 

The Eastern Meeting. 

The third meeting was held at Columbia University, 
November 19 and 20, 1914, with a final half day at Yale, 
November 21. The attendance was sixty-seven and the mem- 
bership had grown to seventy-eight. The sessions of this 
meeting were held in the School of Journalism building and 
the delegates were guests of the University at a luncheon at 
the Claremont, and at a dinner at the Faculty Club, a Faculty 
Tea, on Friday afternoon, and a dinner at the Columbia Uni- 
versity Club, Friday night. The delegates were also given 



20 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

free dormitory accommodations. At Yale, the delegates were 
shown about the institution and were guests of the University 
at luncheon. Through the courtesy of Mr. Embree, the dele- 
gates were able to secure seats for the Yale-Harvard game at 
the opening of the Yale Bowl. 

The third meeting of the association emphasized the ideals 
of alumni association work. The^ sessions were taken up with 
formal papers and informal discussions, and a great many top- 
ics were considered. The meeting proved to be very helpful 
and the delegates were not only delighted with the opportunity 
for fellowship with each other, but enthusiastic in their appre- 
ciation of the royal way in which Columbia and Yale enter- 
tained. The dinner at the Columbia University Club, Friday 
evening, presided over by "Van Am," was a fitting climax to 
a successful meeting. A full report, filling 160 pages, was 
published. 

The officers elected, at the closing session of the confer- 
ence, were as follows — President, Edwin R. Embree, Yale ; 
first vice president. Dean C. Matthews, Western Reserve ; sec- 
ond vice president, John A. Lomax, Texas ; secretary, Wilfred 
B. Shaw, Michigan; treasurer, A. T. Prescott, Louisiana. 
Executive committee, J. E. McDowell, Stanford; Karl 
Leebrick, California ; Chas. Cason, Vanderbilt. 

The California Meeting. 

The fourth conference of the Association of Alumni Secre- 
taries was held at the University of California and Leland 
Stanford Junior University, August 6 and 7, 1915. There were 
twenty-five delegates present at this meeting and the member- 
ship of the Association had reached a total of seventy-nine. 

The sessions of the first day were held at the University 
of California, Berkeley. The formal program for this meeting 
had been purposely shortened with the idea of giving more 
time for personal conferences between delegates. The general 
topic was the relation between the alumni and the institution. 
The delegates were guests of the alumni association of the 
University at a luncheon. After the luncheon the delegates 
visited the Greek Theatre, the library building, and a number 
of other points of special interest about the University. At 



Association of Alumni Secretaries 21 

the close of the afternoon session, the delegates went in a body 
to the Exposition Grounds for a banquet at Old Faithful Inn. 

The sessions of the second day were held at Stanford Uni- 
versity. President Jordan welcomed the delegates and the 
secretary of the Stanford Alumni Association, Mr. McDowell, 
and Mrs. McDowell, entertained the delegates at a buffet 
luncheon at their home. 

The conference decided to assume the responsibility for 
publishing a hand book on alumni activities and the president 
was authorized to appoint a committee to prepare copy for 
such a book. 

Officers were elected as follows: President, Wilfred B. 
Shaw, Michigan ; first vice president, Warren F. Sheldon, 
Wesleyan ; second vice president, Lewis D. Crenshaw, Vir- 
ginia ; secretary, Charles Cason, Vanderbilt ; treasurer, Arthur 
D. Butterfield, Worcester Polytechnic. 

A report of the conference, filling 44 pages, has been pub- 
lished. 

The Nashville Meeting. 

The fifth meeting of the Association of Alumni Secre- 
taries was held at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., 
October 26, 27, 28, 1916. Most of the sessions were held in 
Hotel Hermitage. The general topic of the meeting was "the 
ultimate purpose of the alumni organization." The meeting 
was made notable by the opportunity afforded the delegates to 
witness the successful close of the $1,000,000 campaign for the 
endowment of Vanderbilt. The program was spread over 
three days and was so arranged as to afford ample opportunity 
for personal conferences. It was decided not to hold the sixth 
meeting until the fall of 1918 at the University of Michigan. 
Each secretary is expected to bring with him, to that meeting, 
the president or some other prominent member of his associ- 
ation. 

Organization and Purpose. 

The Association of Alumni Secretaries has no constitu- 
tion or by-laws. Its aff'airs are managed by an executive com- 
mittee, consisting of the five officers and two members chosen 



22 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

at large from the Association. The officers are (1) president; 
(2) a first vice president; (3) a second vice president; (4) ? 
secretary; (5) a treasurer. 

Purpose — The purpose of the Association is to bring to- 
gether, for conference and mutually helpful discussion, the 
men who are in active charge of the work of the college alumni 
associations of the country. The Association gives oppor- 
tunity for an exchange of ideas and serves as a clearing house 
of information for those engaged in alumni work. 

It is the purpose of the Association to gather material, to 
be kept on file at the office of the secretary of the Association, 
which may be of use to anyone interested in any phase of 
alumni work. 

The Association publishes, following each meeting, a re- 
port containing the papers and discussions of the meetings. 

Membership — Any alumni association of any institution 
of collegiate grade is entitled to send a delegate to the annual 
meetings of the association. In order to participate actively 
in the deliberations of these meetings, however, the delegate 
must be in active charge of the work of the association, devot- 
ing all or some considerable portion of his time to the work. 

The membership of the Association consists of the con- 
stituent alumni associations as represented by delegate, the 
secretary or other officer, who is in active charge of the work 
of the association. 

Fiscal Year — The fiscal year of the Association begins 
November 1st each year. 

Annual Dues — The annual dues are $5.00, or, such other 
sum as may be fixed by the executive committee, in order to 
produce a sum sufficient to meet the bills of the Association. 



III. ORGANIZATION AND CONSTITUTION. 

The form of alumni organization is as varied as the con- 
ditions that obtain in the various institutions. The simplest 
is the alumni association of the small college which offers only 
a general college course. This association, not being obliged 
to take into account any other organization, is shaped solely 
to meet the purposes in the minds of its organizers. 

The alumni association of a college or department of a 
university, must take into account the fact that the other col- 
leges or departments of the institution have, or may hav6, 
similar associations and the organization must be made to con- 
form to such a situation, and provision will naturally be made 
for co-operation with the alumni organizations of other depart- 
ments of the institution to care for matters not exclusively within 
the sphere of any one of the college associations — that is, uni- 
versity matters. 

The individual association should be so formed as to pro- 
vide for caring for matters of interest solely to the particular 
college, and caution should be exercised to avoid any possible 
interference with matters that relate to other colleges or de- 
partments or to the university as a whole. 

In a university there are always matters in which the 
alumni of all the colleges are alike interested, matters which 
do not affect one college or department more than another. 
Such matters are provided for by a distinctively university or- 
ganization or by a federation of the various college associa- 
tions, which amounts to a distinct and independent organi- 
zation. 

Sometimes this may take the form of an association of 
alumni clubs, but commonly, in a university with many depart- 
ments, there will be found room for two kinds of organization 
— one to represent the individual colleges and one to represent 
and speak for the alumni of all colleges in strictly university 
matters. Michigan furnishes a notable exception to this rule. 

23 



24 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

Only one general association exists at that university, the 
others which existed previously went out of existence when 
the general association was organized. 

There are other forms of general alumni organizations, 
such as the association of class secretaries, the association of 
local clubs, the local club, an alumni advisory council usually 
made up of representatives of local clubs. 

The constitution of the alumni organization will naturally 
vary with the purpose of the association. In drawing a con- 
stitution the following things should be kept in mind — 

I. Name. 

Should be definitive but not too long. 

II. Object. 

The object should be stated clearly and should be made 
broad enough to cover any legitimate activity of the alumni 
in behalf of the institution. 

III. Membership. 

Provision may be made for various grades of membership : 

(a) Regular; (b) Associate; (c) Honorary; (d) Sustaining; 

and other grades may be provided for if found desirable. This 

should be accompanied by a clear statement of the rights and 

privileges of each kind of membership. 

It is to be noted, however, in this connection, that the 
modern tendency is to eliminate all distinction in memberships 
and to provide for but one, or, at most, two grades of mem- 
bership. 

IV. Officers. 

Provision should be made for a governing board, elected 
by the alumni ; an executive committee, if desired ; the usual 
officers ; special officers, if such are desired ; the duties of the 
officers should be outlined and the method of their selection 
clearly stated. 

V. Meetings. 

Provision should be made for holding certain stated an- 
nual or other meetings ; the business to be transacted at such 



Organization and Constitution 25 

meetings should be specified with sufficient latitude to allow 
of the transaction of any desired business, but clearly exclud- 
ing all matters which it is not desired to have brought up at 
any particular meeting. 

VI. The Fiscal Year. 
A statement of when the business year begins and ends. 

VII. Dues. 

This paragraph should state specifically the dues required 
from the various grades of memberships ; the various kinds of 
dues to be required from any particular grade of membership, 
such as annual, life, or either in connection with the alumni 
publication ; when payable and how collectable. 

VIII. Provisions for By-Laws. 

Provision will naturally be made in the by-laws for stand- 
ing committees ; the duties of officers will be outlined with 
such detail as may s^eem necessary ; details of conducting elec- 
tions, the collection of dues and the adoption of amendments to 
the constitution when the same are subject to letter ballot; 
the fiscal year, the dates of meetings, both of the association 
and the board of directors will naturally be fixed in the 
by-laws. 

IX. Provision for Amendments. 

Provision should be made for amendment of constitution 
and by-laws. 

No attempt has been made to frame a model constitution, 
as no constitution could be considered a model for any institu- 
tion other than the particular one for which it was drawn. 

This outline will serve as a suggestion to associations that 
would follow the usual form of organization. There are some 
notably strong associations that are organized upon radically 
different principles from those outlined above. 

Reasonable elasticity in regard to all matters which are 
likely to be subject to change and definiteness in all matters 
which might be open to misconstruction are the fundamental 
principles for framing a constitution. 



26 Hand Book of Alumni Work 



Specific Organizations. 



^ 



The following indicates the form of organization employed 
by some of the leading colleges of the country. Fuller infor- 
mation can be secured concerning any of these associations by 
writing to the alumni secretary of that college. 

Michigan. 

Only one association (general), no departmental or college 
organization ; all alumni have a vote. Constitution provides 
for seven directors elected for terms of five years (it is under- 
stood that the board shall always have one woman member) ; 
election at a meeting held at commencement time; board 
transacts all general business of the association and elects own 
officers ; routine business is transacted by an executive com- 
mittee of three. 

Michigan also has an Advisory Council with a board of 
directors chosen by the local alumni clubs, one representative 
from each association with fifty members and one additional 
representative for each additional two hundred fifty members; 
meets annually at commencement time ; problems of university 
administration ; provides an executive committee of seven 
members, five chosen by the council itself and two appointed 
by the president from local associations not already repre- 
sented. 

-v California. 

Board of directors of fifteen members — five ex-officio, the 
officers, terms one year; five councilors-at-large, term two 
years; five councilors, one by each college association, term 
two years. Affirmative vote of five required to transact busi- 
ness. 

Iowa State College. 

Incorporated under state laws. Officers are elected annu- 
ally at regular meeting — president, vice president and record- 
ing secretary ; the board of directors consists of the officers, 
the retiring officers and the officers of the next preceding year, 
nine in all; the general secretary and treasurer are appointed 
by the board ; general charge of all business including appoint- 



Organisation and Constitution 27 

ment of committees ; much important business is transacted 
through committees. 

Pennsylvania. 

(Incorporated.) The Board of Directors is made up of a 
president, five vice presidents, a secretary, a treasurer, twelve 
directors elected by local associations, directors elected by 
departments — one for each one thousand graduates of the de- 
partment and directors at large, one more than the total of the 
foregoing, terms of five years, elected by ballot for terms of 
five years. This board transacts all business of the associa- 
tion, including the amending of the by-laws ; an executive com- 
mittee of nine members has charge of the routine business of 
the association. 

Columbia. 

Three directors elected by each of five colleges and three 
at large; these directors form a federation of school and local 
associations ; this board elects officers, transacts all business of 
the association ; has legislative powers. Terminology — The 
university association is a federation ; the college associations 
are known as associations and the local organizations are 
known as clubs. Certain trustees of Columbia are elected by 
representatives chosen by the local clubs who meet once each 
year at the University. 

Yale. 

Yale has three general types of alumni organizations but 
no organization that corresponds to a general association. The 
three types are (a) class, with its association of class secre- 
taries ; (b) geographical, with federations representing various 
main divisions of the country; (c) by special interests, such as 
the Yale missionary society, etc. The colleges of Yale Uni- 
versity each have their own associations. The Yale Alumni 
University Fund Association is independent of all other alumni 
organizations; all alumni activities center in the office of the 
secretary of the University, of which the alumni registrar's 
office is an integral part ; an advisory body, chosen by the local 
association, one delegate from each association with one hun- 
dred members and two from each association with two hundred 



28 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

or more members, which body considers matters of educational 
policy referred to it by the corporation. The alumni publication 
is owned by a corporation with its membership strictly among 
the alumni of Yale and is independent of alumni association or 
university control. 

Chicago. 

Board of directors made up of two representatives each 
from the college ; the college of law ; the divinity school ; the 
association of doctors of philosophy; and one appointed by the 
president of the University, and one, the secretary, appointed 
by the college. These constitute the alumni council which 
elects officers and the chairmen of committees ; the president 
appoints the other members of the committees which transact 
most of the business of the Association. These committees 
are — control of alumni publications ; alumni clubs ; alumni 
meetings ; athletics ; finance. 

Western Reserve University. 

No general alumni association. Each college has its own 
association. The secretary of the University furnishes the 
only unifying force for the various alumni activities. 

Harvard. 
The board of the Harvard association is made up as fol- 
lows : the secretary ; one faculty member appointed by the 
president; one resident member of the Harvard clubs of New 
England; one chosen by Harvard club of New York City; two 
by associate Harvard clubs outside New England and New 
York; nine chosen at large on commencement day by the 
Australian ballot system ; the officers of the association. This 
board constitutes an executive committee which elects officers, 
of which one of the vice presidents and the treasurer must be 
from the membership of the board and the others become mem- 
bers of the board by virtue of such election if not already mem- 
bers. This committee transacts all business of the association 
and may call a Forum. Members are elected for three years 
and are not eligible for re-election until after the expiration 
of one year, except the secretary. A Forum may be called by 
any one hundred members of the Association and any member 



Organization and Constitution 29 

of the Association is entitled to a seat in the Forum and a vote 
upon any question that may come up for decision. 

Wisconsin. 

This association provides an alumni board and an alumni 
council. The alumni board is made up of the president, vice 
president, the recording secretary and the treasurer and the 
retiring president, with five members elected at large, three at 
the annual meeting and two by the alumni council ; the presi- 
dent, vice president and secretary are elected by the alumni 
board and the treasurer by the alumni council; the alumni 
council includes in its membership the secretary or other duly 
accredited member of each class and of each local alumni asso- 
ciation of club and ten members chosen at large at the time 
of the annual meeting. Local associations have one repre- 
sentative for each one hundred regular members of the general 
association who are members also of the local association. 
The alumni council meets twice each year, at commencement 
time and at the annual home-coming in the fall. The alumni 
board has charge of the general business of the association and 
must have in its membership at least one alumnus of each col- 
lege presided over by a dean. 

Minnesota. 

The board of directors is made up of two representatives 
chosen by each of the college associations, provided such as- 
sociation has in its membership one hundred life members of 
the general association ; each college association is entitled to 
one representative anyway; in addition, ten directors chosen 
at large, by the Hare proportional system of voting; the offi- 
cers of the association are chosen by the board of directors and 
become members of the board by virtue of such election if not 
already members of the board. This board has charge of all 
the business of the Association between the annual meetings. 
The Minnesota Alumni Association is incorporated under the 
laws of the State of Minnesota and is merely a holding cor- 
poration with the same officers and directors as the General 
Alumni Association. 



IV. FINANCING THE ASSOCIATION. 

The question of financing the work of the association is 
always a troublesome one. No association, so far as is known, 
has entirely solved this problem to its own satisfaction. There 
are five general ways in which the association may be financed. 

The first and most obvious is the annual dues plan. By 
this plan a fixed amount is collected from the alumni annually, 
that is, an attempt is made to collect such dues. In some cases 
where the alumni body is small and the officers particularly 
persuasive, a fairly large percentage respond, as high as 95% 
in very rare cases^25% to 50% is an unusually large response, 
in the majority of cases less than 25% will respond. In the 
larger alumni bodies the annual dues furnish an even more 
uncertain and precarious source of revenue. Comparatively 
few respond to calls for payment of such dues, especially if 
these dues are collected merely as dues, and not made a part 
of some other payment, such as a subscription to the magazine 
or in connection with a ticket to a banquet, for which the 
alumnus, of course, expects to pay if he receives the benefit. 

When the annual dues are included with a subscription to 
the alumni publication collection of such dues is fairly suc- 
cessful, but an association depending upon such dues for sup- 
port lacks the solid foundation upon which permanent and 
effective alumni service must be built. 

The second plan, which has proven successful in the case 
of many of the larger institutions, is the life membership plan, 
the charge for a life membership being fixed at an amount 
that, when invested will produce the amount fi.xed as the 
proper amount for annual dues. The principal is kept intact 
and its income alone used for the current expenses of the asso- 
ciation. Just as in the case of annual dues, this charge can 
be collected independently as a contribution to the work of the 
association, or, it can be collected in connection with a sub- 
scription to the alumni magazine. 

A few institutions follow the plan of collecting this as a 

* 30 



Financing the Association 31 

separate fee and have been successful in securing a considera- 
ble endowment from this source. This plan has been in use at 
the University of Minnesota since the organization of the Gen- 
eral Alumni Association and has proven most successful. 
$15,000 were added to the endowment of the association, as fol- 
lows : 

Fifty alumni contributed one hundred dollars each, mak- 
ing a five thousand dollar fund, the gift being conditioned upon 
one thousand other alumni taking out their life memberships 
at ten dollars each, thus adding fifteen thousand dollars to the 
endowment of the association. The campaign was successful 
and the thousand more life members were secured in about 
nine months. 

The plan of combining a life membership with a subscrip- 
tion to the alumni publication has been tried with success at 
Michigan*. The life membership fee, including a subscription 
to the alumni publication, is thirty-five dollars, payable five 
dollars a year for seven years. Four dollars of each payment 
go into the permanent fund of the association and one dollar 
goes to the expense fund of the publication. That is, of the 
whole thirty-five dollars, twenty-eight dollars go into the 
permanent endowment for the support of the publication and 
seven dollars are used for current expenses. This has proven 
very successful. 

The third method of securing proper support for the 
association is by securing larger gifts from a comparatively 
few. Such gifts might be used to induce others to become life 
members, being conditioned upon a certain number of other 
alumni taking out their life memberships and paying for the 
same before a set date. 

The fourth method is the one which is often used, a sub- 
sidy by the institution. Of course this subsidy is supplement- 
ed by annual dues or other methods of collecting money from 
the alumni, but the association depends in this case almost 
wholly upon the contribution of the institution. This may be 
in the way of paying the salary of the secretary and office 
assistants, or, it may be in' the way of a contribution to the 
publication. Such a method is open to serious objections. In 
the first place if the secretary is paid directly by the institution, 



32 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

he must of necessity represent the institution rather than the 
alumni, and the work of the alumni association may be greatly 
hampered by this fact. Then again, if the alumni are given 
the credit of doing something for the institution, the work 
should be supported by alumni contributions and not by insti- 
tutional funds. It is perfectly legitimate for an institution to 
pay certain expenses connected with keeping up alumni rec- 
ords, for this would be done whether there was an alumni asso- 
ciation or not,/ and such work can frequently be done more 
economically and efficiently through the alumni association 
than by an officer of the institution. Payment of this sort puts 
the association under absolutely no obligation to the institu- 
tion and the plan seems unobjectionable. 

The fifth method is by making the alumni publication con- 
tribute largely to the support of the alumni work for the insti- 
tution. In the case of a larger institution, this can be done ; 
with a proper business management any publication can be 
made to contribute very substantially toward the support of 
the association. Next to the life membership plan, or rather, 
as a supplement to the life membership plan, this appears to 
be an ideal plan for financing alumni work. It has the added 
advantage that any effort to secure new subscribers is in direct 
line of prosecuting one of the most important lines of alumni 
work, for each new subscriber means a new center of intelli- 
gent interest in the institution ; if a sufficient number of alumni 
could be induced to subscribe so that the publication would 
entirely support the work of the association, the method would 
be absolutely ideal. 

The principles of all sound financing of alumni work are : 

First, to secure the support of the largest possible number 
of alumni, for it is a truth which is universally recognized, 
that any one who has an actual investment in any particular 
line is bound to be more interested than in any work in which 
he is not financially interested. . 

The second principle is equally important, that any sub- 
stantial and effective work must have a substantial and de- 
pendable financial backing. In alumni work, no man who 
Would be acceptable to the alumni in the position of secretary, 
would for a moment consider undertaking the work with the 



Financing the Association 33 

understanding that successful work would mean a permanent 
position, unless he could feel absolutely assured that the work 
would be properly supported through good and bad years aUke. 
This necessarily means the building up of a permanent endow- 
ment fund that shall be absolutely inviolable, the income alone 
of which shall be available for the support of the work of the 
association. 

The third principle is, that all special events caUing for 
the expenditure of money such as banquets, celebrations, etc., 
should pay their own way. That is, some method of financing 
these events so as not to call upon the general fund of the 
association is absolutely essential. Methods can be devised for 
meeting such expenses and those who are responsible for in- 
curring the expenditures should be impressed with the abso- 
lute necessity of keeping the expenditures within a conserva- 
tively estimated income. 



V. THE ALUMNI SECRETARY. 

The modern alumni association is, primarily, a business 
organization — ^it is organized for efficiency. Its reason to be is 
found in the fact that it affords the individual alumnus oppor- 
tunity to increase greatly the efficiency of his individual effort 
in behalf of the institution and enables him to keep in touch 
with his fellow alumni. 

The philosophy of organized alumni effort is the same as 
that of the modern business consoHdation. It has come into 
being in response to a recognition of the fact that a very mod- 
erate amount of organized loyalty is worth an unlimited 
amount of unorganized good will. Through a sense of grati- 
tude or through a recognition of a pubUc duty, the alumni de- 
sire to do something worth while for the institution to which 
they owe allegiance. They are always ready to do something 
if they can feel assured that that something is really worth 
while. The individual alimmus can not give the time neces- 
sary to go into the problems that are constantly presenting 
themselves and determine just where his individual effort wiU 
count for the most for the upbuilding of the institution, hence 
the organized alumni have come, in many institutions, to em- 
ploy a secretary whose sole duty it is to keep in touch with 
the institution and to report faithfully the facts upon which 
the alumni may predicate their judgment and upon which they 
may act with intelligence and without loss of effort. The un- 
selfish support of the alumni, if intelligently directed, repre- 
sents a tremendous force for the uplift of any institution. 

It is true that many universities have had for years, paid 
officers whose duty it was, among a multiplicity of other du- 
ties, to look after alumni interests. The work of such officers 
has been directed, for the most part, with the idea of making 
use of the power represented by the alumni body to carry out 
definite and settled plans and policies of the institution. 

The alumni-paid secretary is a new development and intro- 
duces a new element into the problem. The almnni are to be 

34 



The Alumni Publication 35 

no less useful, rather are they to be more useful, but they are 
to make their influence felt in their own way, which makes 
their service of far greater value than it could be under any 
other condition. 

In the case of the larger institutions, where the alumni 
employ a secretary to devote his whole time to the work, the 
necessity of pajdng a secretary a salary sufl&cient to attract 
and hold for Kfe, men who are on a par with full professors 
of the institution which the secretary serves, must be recog- 
nized. The secretary should be a man big enough to be rec- 
ognized as earning his salary. The alimmi association which 
does not get on such a basis at the earHest possible moment is 
not Uving up to its opportunity for service. 

The secretary should not be content to look upon his duty 
as done even when the alumni body becomes an indispensably 
vital force in the Ufe of the institution. The time will never 
come when the alumni are not needed. 

Without official recognition from the institution, but with 
the loyal support of a loyal and united almnni body, the alumni 
secretary may make the alumni a potent and welcome force in 
the Ufe of any institution. It depends almost wholly upon the 
man — the possibihties are inherent. 

The alumni of the various institutions have problems that 
differ in detail and where the emphasis is to be placed will 
depend upon local conditions, but, whatever the special neces- 
sities of any particular institution, there is one problem which 
all alumni associations must ahke face — ^how to interest and 
enhst the support of the largest possible number of alumni 
and how to direct such interest to ends most effective for the 
good of the institution. 

In such service the secretary is absolutely essential — he 
is the eyes, hands, feet, and to considerable extent the mouth- 
piece of the alumni. He can be and is held responsible for 
doing things when they need to be done. It is his business 
to keep in touch with the whole institution, to report inteUi- 
gently, advise judiciously and direct forcefully the activities 
of the alumni to any desired end. 

The ideal association is one which will best enable the uni- 
versity and the aliunni to attain the fullness of the heritage 



36 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

that belongs to the college man. There is always danger that 
the alumnus may fall out of step with the institution, as well 
as a danger that the university may become too conservative. 
Here lies the danger that the university and the alumnus may 
come to misunderstand each other, to work at cross purposes. 
Hence, there is special need of care in directing organized 
alumni effort to the end that the alumni association may be- 
come the medium between the university and the alumnus, to 
act as interpreter when necessary, keeping aUve in the spirit 
of the busy alunmus the academic love of learning for its own 
sake, and to bring into the life of the university a spirit of 
progress and efficiency from the outside world. 

The alumni association may also help the alumni to in- 
terpret the university to the outside world and at the same' 
time furnish the university a system of checks and balances, 
and, an impetus when needed. 

An alumni body, sufficiently interested in the college to 
maintain an active organization in its interests, and provide for 
keeping its members informed concerning university condi- 
tions, needs and progress, constitutes a body of men and 
women whose judgment is always sympathetic and is apt to 
be safe and sane. 

As representing such a body of men and women, it is gen- 
erally conceded, that the secretary should be free to speak and 
act independently and not be handicapped by being in the pay 
of the institution. He should represent the alunmi rather than 
the administration's point of view. Only as he can do this 
with the utmost frankness and directness can he be of the 
highest service to the institution, that is, the alumni should 
be an independent force working for, but independent, of the 
institution. This statement will be challenged by some strong 
men and their objections and ideas upon the matter are given 
space in another place in this chapter. 

The secretary, if he is to be really successful, must be 
broadminded and open to conviction. He must have the 
proper perspective ; he must listen to all sides of every question 
and be swayed only by what he is convinced is the ultimate 
good of the institution. When it is necessary he should not 
fear to take a stand independent of the administration, but he 



The Alumni Secretary 37 

should take such stand only when he is sure that something 
vital is at stake and such a stand is absolutely necessary. In 
all matters it is vital that he keep his point of view free from 
prejudice. It is far better, whenever it is possible, to support 
the administration rather than to run counter to its plans. 
In any case he should be sure that his stand is dictated only by 
considerations of the highest good of the institution and he 
should never forget that he represents the alumni and not 
himself. 

Naturally the secretary will counsel with his board on all 
matters that do not demand instant action and his stand on 
any question will represent not only his own best judgment 
but the concensus of the judgment of others who are in posi- 
tion to know and advise inteUigently. 

That the alumni secretary should be able to speak to the 
alumni, freely, through the alumni publication, goes without 
saying. Under ordinary conditions, the ideal arrangement 
is for the alimini pubhcation to be under the direct supervision 
of the secretary as the representative of the alumni governing 
board. But here again, there are noteworthy exceptions to 
the rule, and some of the leading alumni publications are 
owned and controlled by independent organizations of alumni. 
It is safe to say, however, that as a rule, the alumni secretary 
should have an intimate if not a controlling interest in the 
alumni pubhcation. 

In aU his dealings with the alumni the secretary must be 
absolutely frank. This is the only way in which he can secure 
and retain their confidence and the limit of his usefulness is 
measured only by the confidence of the alumni in the absolute 
integrity of their secretary. 

Frequently, it may be necessary for the secretary to take 
a decided stand for or against something. He must make sure 
of his ground before he commits himself and be sure that his 
stand is one that alumni generally would approve if they knew 
the facts as he knows them. When he has once taken a stand 
it is up to the secretary to stand by his guns so long as he is 
siu'e that he is right, no matter what a storm of criticism may 
be aroused, he may rest assured that, if he is right, the alimmi 
will stand by him. 



38 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

This doctrine of independence of the institution, has been 
challenged by some strong men, but it undoubtedly represents 
the fair concensus of opinion of the great majority of the men 
engaged in alumni work and devoting their time to such work. 
It is argued by those who advocate the plan of having the 
alumni secretary an officer of the institution and on its payroll, 
that such a plan affords a closer co-ordination of alumni effort 
with the ideas of the administration. This is probably true, 
but the wisdom of such an arrangement is questioned by the 
men who have enjoyed such an independent position — not one 
would be willing to change to the other plan. 

Another argument which is advanced in favor of this lat- 
ter plan, is that it solves the problem of finances for the alum- 
ni. This is a small matter, if the independent plan is the 
better. 

In the case of the smaller institutions, which cannot afford 
to employ a paid secretary to devote all his time to the work 
of the association, a permanent secretary with a liberal allow- 
ance for office help and postage can really do very much to 
make alumni effort count for the good of the institution. 

Such an officer must be one whose whole heart is in the 
work and who rejoices in the opportunity to serve as he is 
able. He must, of course, be to some extent master of his own 
time and willing to devote much hard work with little re- 
ward beyond the satisfaction of rendering a real service to the 
institution he loves. 

In every alumni body can be found some such individual 
who will serve if sought out and the matter placed squarely 
before him. These individuals are not the men or women who 
seek office for the sake of the honor, but who look upon such 
service as a trust and who will work for the good of the cause 
and ask no other reward. 

In choosing a secretary the board should remember that 
the qualities most needed are those that characterize the good 
business man — the ability to plod along and stand by a definite 
plan and put it through despite discouragements and difficul- 
ties. If these quaUties can be found in combination with those 
of a good ''mixer" so much the better, but the business quali- 
ties should rank first. 



The Alumni Publication 39 

Upon the shoulders of the secretary must inevitably rest 
the chief burden of the association. He must be a man with 
a vision, resourceful, sympathetic and with an unusually well- 
developed sense of humor, else will he wear himself out to no 
purpose, trying to satisfy the alumni who look at things from 
diametrically opposed points of view. There is no sort of a 
position that calls for the exercise of a wider range of qualifi- 
cations than that of secretary of a large alumni association. 
Yet, because of this fact, there is no position where a man who 
desires to really make his hfe count can render more effective 
public service. 

Even if the position is put upon the basis of that of a full 
professor in the institution, the financial rewards are not such 
as to attract or hold a man capable of filHng the position satis- 
factorily. To be happy in such work a man must find his chief 
reward in the work itself. 

Permanency of position and the assurance of adequate and 
continued support are two things which any man who goes 
into this work should demand. No association can expect to 
secure or hold a man such as they would care to retain, upon 
any other terms. How this can be done has been discussed 
under the head of finances. 



VI. THE ALUMNI PUBLICATION. 

An alumni publication, of some sort, is absolutely essen- 
tial to any sustained and effective alumni work. Such a publi- 
cation can be maintained even by very small alumni bodies. 
It may be issued not oftener than once a quarter, and may be 
very unpretentious at that, but with the proper alumnus in 
charge, it will be weU worth while. 

As to form and period of publication — conditions must 
determine what is best. It is generally conceded, by the men 
actively engaged in alumni work, that the weekly is the ideal 
plan. It provides for reaching the alumni with information 
while it is real news and while the alumni, if so inclined, may 
express their opinions in time to have them considered. 

The question as to whether there is sufficient material 
available to fill a weekly need never trouble those who are 
planning to establish such a publication. The great question 
is usually, ''What can be omitted with the least loss?" This is 
the universal experience of the editors of weekly alumni pub- 
lications. 

For the great majority of alumni organizations, however, 
the weekly is out of the question. At the present time the 
monthly publication is the most common form, and it will 
probably continue so indefinitely. The quarterly is all that 
some associations feel that they can support and a quarterly 
properly handled, can be made most useful to the alumni. 
Some associations publish large quarterly numbers and issue 
a small bulletin once a month or once in two weeks. 

An alumni publication, to be of the highest value should 
be self-supporting, that is, subscriptions and advertising should 
pay its expenses, including proper allowance for editorial 
charges. Of course, in the case of the smaller institutions, 
the editing of the alumni pubhcation must be done by some 
person or persons who do the work for the good of the cause. 

Most institutions subsidize the alumni pubhcation to some 

40 



The Alumni Publication 41 

extent by advertising or by allowing some officer of the insti- 
tution to take the time needed to edit the publication and 
sometimes both are conceded. There is a serious objection to 
such an arrangement in that it may interfere with the proper 
independence of the pubUcation. 

Prices and Collections. 

Weekly alumni pubhcations usually have a subscription 
price of $3.00 a year, the lowest priced is $2.00 a year. The 
monthly publications are usually held at $1.00 a year, or $2.00 
which includes the annual dues. With the increased cost of 
producing printing, prices generally have advanced in recent 
years. The limited field of such a pubhcation makes it neces- 
sary to charge a higher price than for almost any other class 
of pubUcation. 

Collection of subscriptions furnishes another serious prob- 
lem. While it is undoubtedly true that people generally get 
more for their money when invested in a newspaper than when 
invested in any other way, newspaper bills are hard to collect 
and the alumni pubhcation enjoys no immunity in this respect. 

With proper business management comparatively few fail 
to pay eventually, but no one has yet invented a process of 
keeping collections up to date. 

The opinion of secretaries generally upon collection agen- 
cies is that they are to be avoided if possible. If used at all 
they should be used with the greatest care and the interests 
of the association should be safeguarded. The good will of 
the alumni is more to be prized than, and more than com- 
pensates for the loss of, small sums of money. 

The Michigan Alumni association originated a plan, which 
has proved successful, and which has been adopted with suc- 
cess by other alumni associations. A special subscription 
rate for the alumni pubUcation to those who wiU pay two, or more 
years in advance. When such advance payments come in 
the amount apportioned to the current year is put into the cur- 
rent funds and the balance is placed in a reserve fund and 
draws interest at the bank. Instead of borrowing from the 
bank each summer as most alumni pubhcations are obhged to 



42 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

do, the association borrows from this reserve fund, which is 
afterward reimbursed. 

It has been found to be helpful in securing collections, to 
fix the price of the publication at io% more than is expected 
and allow io% discount for early payment, before a fixed 
date. This plan works well. 

Advertising. 

The advertising field of an alumni publication of neces- 
sity, is extremely limited. Few alumni publications have a 
large enough subscription list to make their publication attrac- 
tive to the national advertiser on account of mere numbers, 
and the prices that must be charged for space, in order to make 
it worth while to carry advertising at all, sometimes offsets 
the fact that the alumni body furnishes a selected list of good 
prospects and their interest in the publication adds decidedly 
to the effectiveness of any advertising in its pages. 

The alumni pubHcation offers an especially attractive ad- 
vertising medium for schools, insurance companies, bankers, 
brokers, trust companies, publishers, hotels, clothes and ath- 
letic goods, and for professional cards of alumni, classified 
geographically. 

The management should make a most careful study of the 
advertising problem and should know exactly what it costs 
to carry advertising and whether advertising is an asset or a 
liability. It should never be forgotten that it costs to carry 
advertising and that money received for advertising is far from 
being clear profit as it is often thought to be. 

Where a business manager is employed, on a salary, to 
give his whole time to the work, the question of soliciting ad- 
vertising is easily settled. In most cases, however, it will be 
necessary to secure some undergraduate to solicit advertising 
and usually such an arrangement can be made on a percentage 
basis. 

The business management of a publication also offers 
another problem which will vary with the institution. Such 
management can be combined with the advertising and the 
same man can have charge of both. But such an arrangement 
is not Hkely to be very satisfactory on account of frequent 



The Alumni Publication 43 

changes in personnel and the lack of realization of the impor- 
tance of strict attention to all business details, which is hkely 
to exist in the case of a young and inexperienced undergrad- 
uate who seldom appreciates the alumni point of view. 

A proper business management is second only to proper 
editorial control, and careless business management may 
easily nuUify the best efforts of conscientious and efficient edi- 
torial work. The ideal way is to center such control in the 
alumni secretary. 

If a secretary is employed and it is not possible to employ 
a permanent business manager, then the secretary should have 
control and he should see to it that the maihng Hsts are kept 
up to date, that billing and collecting are cared for in a busi- 
ness Hke way, that complaints are answered and that the pub- 
lication is mailed regularly upon a set day each month or week 
as the case may be. Nothing but absolute editorial incompe- 
tency will ''queer" a pubHcation quicker than slovenly business 
methods. 

The Publication. 

No matter what form the pubHcation may take, or how 
often it may be pubHshed, the alumni pubHcation should be a 
newspaper and not a magazine, in some institutions there may 
be room for both, but the newspaper is by all odds the more 
important. The alumni want first of all, news of their friends 
— personal items — news of the professors and news of the 
institution. They can buy better magazines for less money 
at any news stand, but nothing else can take the place of the 
news which the alumni pubHcation brings with its looked-for 
visits. 

The alumnus wants to know what is "doing" at his col- 
lege and he wants an opportunity to express himself upon 
things that he approves or disapproves and the alumni pubHca- 
tion furnishes both the information and the medium for an 
expression of his views. 

Not only should the alumni publication be a newspaper, 
it should be an alumni newspaper edited and pubHshed by the 
alumni and for the alumni, with the alumni point of view in 
mind, and should only incidentally be an organ of the institu- 



44 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

tion. Such a publication can never attain its full measure of 
success as an alumni publication unless it is such in fact as well 
as name. 

The alumni publication should be so conducted that the sub- 
scriber will learn to discount or discard entirely stories he sees 
about his college in the daily press, unless he finds them con- 
firmed in his alumni pubhcation. The alumni pubHcation will 
include much that the city daihes do not think worth while, 
or cannot get except through the alumni publication. The aim 
should be accuracy and thoroughness, rather than to secure a 
"scoop." In many cases the city dailies use much material 
which first appears in the alumni publication. 

Its Scope. 

The legitimate field of an alimmi pubHcation includes per- 
sonal items about the faculty and alumni; news of the institu- 
tion likely to be of interest to any considerable group of 
alumni; statements showing the progress of the institution or 
any of its colleges or departments; short resumes of important 
articles, by faculty or alumni, indicating institutional activity; 
articles by persons not connected with the institution are le- 
gitimate only when they have a direct bearing upon the insti- 
tution; technical articles have no place in such a publication. 

Any item to be properly included must stand the test of 
the questions: 

(i) Does it help to place the institution properly before 
the almnni? 

(2) Is it of interest to the alumni generally or to some 
group of alumni? 

Society and fraternity news should stand this test just 
as other news items. 

Anything that will help to satisfy the alumni desire for a 
real taste of college fife and help them to appreciate the chang- 
ing conditions at the institution is legitimate. Student activi- 
ties, so far as they fairly reflect coUege conditions are of inter- 
est to the alumni. 

Interpketative Comment. 

The field of interpretative comment is one of the most im- 
portant for an alumni publication. The necessity for brevity 



The Alumni Publication 45 

makes such coniment imperative if the reader is really to 
appreciate conditions at the institution. To be valuable such 
comment must be comprehensive and unbiased. The writer 
must train himself to grasp clearly and to state accurately the 
essential elements of the question upon which he attempts to 
make conament. 

The field of general news can be covered briefly, interest- 
ingly and comprehensively in such comment. It should not 
be editorial in character and should not be confused by the 
reader with an expression of opinion upon principles and pol- 
icies. 

Editorials. 

The editorial policy of an alumni publication should re- 
flect as accurately as possible, the attitude of the alumni who 
really attempts to keep in touch with the institution. The editor 
should be in position to speak frankly and fearlessly upon any 
matter connected with the institution, and the alumni should 
be made to feel that they are getting at the true inwardness of 
the facts, and the bearing of such facts upon questions of uni- 
versity plans and policies. 

The alumni pubHcation furnishes, or should furnish, an 
absolutely independent and unbiased expression of opinion 
upon all hve matters affecting the college. It should, of 
course, be fair, but should not hesitate to champion the un- 
popular side of a question even though the administration 
may be on the other side. Freedom of expression must be a 
cardinal principle of the editorial policy, absolutely regard- 
less of the editor's own personal opinion upon any question. 
It is to be counted to the credit of the alumni press generally, 
that it constitutes as free a press as exists in the world today. 
There are no private interests to be served, nor is editorial 
expression subject to the control of the business end of the 
pubHcation, and no advertiser is important enough to dictate 
to it. It is vital to the maintenance of such independence that 
the publication have no official relation to the institution. 

The editor need not always reflect what he thinks to be 
alumni sentiment, but what he believes alumni sentiment 
would be if the alumni generally were as fully informed as he 



46 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

is. The alumni pubKcation should not be content to merely 
voice alumni sentiment, but should, with large wisdom and 
discretion, create and direct alumni sentiment in accordance 
with the highest ideals of the institution and of the alumni 
for the institution. 

Communications. 

No department of an alumni publication is capable of 
greater development and none is more important than alumni 
discussion of live topics connected with the life of the college 
Communications, so long as they keep within the bounds of 
courtesy, should be encouraged. There will always be those 
who will write, upon the slighest excuse, with ''equal fluency 
and inopportunity," upon all topics, but even such communica- 
tions are likely to do less harm than good in the long run. A 
live department of alumni communications means a live alumni 
publication. While frankness in expressing opinions may 
not always be palatable to the authorities it is wholesome. 

The alumni publication should keep the alumni so fully 
informed as to all matters of importance going on at the insti- 
tution, that the alumnus who is a careful reader of the publica- 
tion will know that he is being kept in real touch with the 
university. No really important matter should ever be omitted. 

Should Be Reliable. 

The historian of the future should find the files of the 
alumni pubHcation the most reliable source of information as 
to the development and progress of the institution and the real 
meaning of the various phases of its development. This means 
accuracy of statement as well as completeness as to scope. 

It should never be forgotten that the alumni publication 
exists solely to be read and only as it is read does it really 
fulfill its mission. It is probable that no other class of publi- 
cation is more carefully and more thoroughly read than the 
average alumni journal. 

In order to encourage careful reading the publication 
should be made as small as is consistent with comprehensive- 
ness and padding should be avoided at any cost — even to the 
running of blank space. 



The Alumni Publication 47 

Every issue should contain something of interest to every 
alumnus and every item should be of interest to some reader 
or group of readers. 

The matter should be so arranged that the alumnus may 
know just where to look for the things in which he is most 
interested and should be so displayed as to be easily scanned 
for matters of special interest. This means that great care 
should be taken with the wording of heads and the mechanical 
make up. 

The Editokial Staff. 

Conditions vary to such a degree that no general rules 
can be stated for the proper arrangement of the editorial staff. 
Certain general principles can, however, be stated. These 
principles can be adapted to individual conditions. 

There must be someone responsible and with power to 
act when necessary in any matter connected with the pubU- 
cation. In cases where there is a paid secretary and where 
finances do not permit of a paid editor in addition, the secre- 
tary should be that man. Very few pubhcations can afford 
to pay for editorial services, except for such service in con- 
nection with some other work, hence an editorial staff must 
serve for the love of the cause, or from a sense of duty. A 
weekly newspaper must, of necessity, be handled by a man or 
a few men who are on the job all the time. The board of 
directors is, of course, the final authority upon the policy of 
the publication, and ordinarily this board furnishes all the 
machinery needed to direct the poUcy of the pubHcation. It 
has been found desirable, in some cases, however, to create 
a special committee upon publication, to act under direction 
of the board. In such cases it is desirable that at least one 
member of this committee be a member of the board, so that 
the committee may have, at all times, a proper understanding 
of the plans and purposes of the board regarding the publica- 
tion. Whatever arrangement is made there should be no 
division of authority. 

In the case of a monthly pubHcation, an editorial board 
can usually be secured whose members will be wilHng to edit 
departments, but even so, there must be someone who stands 



48 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

responsible and who can act when it is necessary to act to get 
things done. 

Personal Items. 

No one feature of the alumni publication appeals to so 
many, and it is safe to say that this is the most carefully 
read department of the alumni journal. The question of how 
to get personal items, and then more personal items, is the 
editor's most perplexing problem. 

Where a well organized system of class secretaries exists, 
the problem is very much simplified. The class secretary can 
be called upon to get together the material for his class. Many 
such items can be gathered through the faculty who can fre- 
quently be persuaded to report news items that come to them 
in various ways. One of the best methods is to send out, 
when billing for the publication, a blank with request that 
the subscriber send in personal items concerning himself and 
others. This will bring in large numbers of personal notes. 
Another method that has been used with success, is to leave 
a blank page in the publication with a request that the same 
be used for sending in news. Some good work can be done 
through live alumni at local centers. 

Getting Subscriptions. 

There is no open sesame for getting subscriptions. Get- 
ting them is just like any other kind of alumni work, means 
must be adapted to the end desired and local conditions will 
influence the form which the campaign for subscriptions will 
take. Personal solicitation by a good committee at some large 
alumni meeting will give good results. Circularizing will 
bring results and the offer of premiums that have a special 
appeal to alumni will help to induce subscribers to do some- 
thing to help secure new subscribers. A wide-awake member 
of the senior class can get in a great many subscriptions and 
will charge but a reasonable commission for such service. If 
the officers of the senior class are the right sort they can 
usually be induced to appoint a committee to do such soliciting 
and then there will be no commissions to pay. Enthusiastic 
class officers are the best helpers in this as in all other Hnes 
of alumni work needing personal co-operatiofi. 



The Alumni Publication 49 

It has been found wise to accept subscriptions from the 
seniors with the privilege of paying for same six months later 
when the senior has begun to earn a salary. 

Counting Costs. 

The following figures are submitted with the idea that 
they may be helpful to alumni who are thinking of establish- 
ing a weekly alumni publication. It should not be forgptten 
that printing prices have advanced since this publication was 
started. The figures are the actual figures for a weekly alumni 
publication which was established in 1901 and cover the year 
1901-02. 

Income — Subscriptions $ 748.70 

Advertising 276.25 

Total .$1,024.95 

Expenses — Printing $ 631.69 

Postage, mailing, etc 118.50 

Total $ 750.19 

The balance $274.76, went to the business manager for 
his services. The editor received no pay for his services. 

The same publication in 1912-13 made a showing, as fol- 
lows : 

Income — Subscriptions $3,858.30 

Advertising, net 2,189.06 

Total $6,047.36 

Expenditures — Printing $3,208.98 

Postage, exchange, engravings, and 
miscellaneous 771.64 

Total $3,980.62 

Net income for editorial expenses $2,066.74 

Sample budget of monthly alumni publication of approxi- 
mately 7,000 subscribers, for the year 1915-16: 



50 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

Receipts — Annual subscriptions $6,885.19 

Advertising 1,313.84 

University 600.00 

Sale of publication 11.15 

Sundries 50.38 

Total current receipts $8,860.56 

Expenditures — Alumnus printing $4,550.56 

Second class postage 306.45 

Advertising expense 126.38 

Incidentals 107.54 

Traveling 240.24 

Solicitors 37.85 

Total $5,369.02 

Balance, $3,491.54, to apply toward editorial expenses and 
the support of the association. 

Subscribing by Classes. 

Princeton alumni have adopted a plan by which classes, 
as classes, subscribe for the alumni publication. A flat rate, 
graded somewhat in proportion to the membership of the 
class, is made and the officers of the class place a subscrip- 
tion for the class and pay over to the management the 
price agreed. The plan is reported to be working well, the 
subscription list of the publication being practically doubled. 
Columbia has tried this plan with its decennial class. The 
plan worked for the year and the secretary is hoping that the 
plan will" work with other decennial classes as they come 
along. 

Following Up Sample Copies. 

In an attempt to increase the subscription list Illinois 
sent out sample copies to members of various classes and 
followed this up with a letter from the secretary of the class, 
with excellent results. This was followed by several circulars 
at short intervals, including one which carried testimonials 



The Alumni Publication 51 

from subscribers. This was followed by a return post card 
and later by other cards and finally by a letter of personal 
appeal. 

Discussing Student Affairs. 

The alumni can, through their publication, emphasize 
the things in student life that are most worth while, by devot- 
ing space to such things in the publication. It is possible to 
thus show the student body that the alumni really care for 
something beside athletics and are actually interested in things 
as unimportant as scholarship and excellence in debate, ora- 
tory and music. 

Effective Follow-up. 

The Vanderbilt Alumnus follows a practice of sending to 
each alumnus, whose name is mentioned in the publication, a 
card, calling attention to the fact and asking the alumnus 
to let the Alumnus know if the item is correct. This brings 
in payments and creates interest in the publication. 

Use of Cartoons. 

The Vanderbilt Alumnus sends out to newspapers of the 
state cartoons bearing the notice "From the Vanderbilt Alum- 
nus." This has brought many subscriptions and created much 
interest in the publication. 

Class Directory. 

One institution found that by offering to print a class 
directory during the first year the class was out of college the 
whole senior class was induced to subscribe for their publi- 
cation. 

Combined Advertising Soliciting. 

It has been suggested, but not so far as is known tried 
out, that an advertising bureau be established at a college. 
This bureau would have charge of all advertising soliciting 
done for any and all college and alumni publications. That 
a rate be made to include all these publications or any com- 
bination of them desired. The cost of securing the advertising 



52 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

would thus be reduced and the advertisers would be relieved 
of interviewing or standing off numerous solicitors. The field 
could be thoroughly worked with less confusion and with 
better results — at least such is the argument. 

Securing Senior Subscriptions. 

A very large number of the new subscribers to the alumni 
publication of the University of Michigan comes from the 
members of the senior classes in the various departments 6i 
the university. Believing that it is more important to get 
the new alumnus in the habit of receiving the Alumnus rather 
than to have his money, immediately the price is materially 
reduced and payment, at the option of the senior, is post- 
poned for some months. A solicitor is then appointed to 
canvass the class. He receives a very substantial commission, 
whether the subscriptions he receives are paid or deferred. 
The result is a vigorous campaign for subscriptions which 
results in very nearly half the senior class subscribing. An 
alumni button is given to all who pay irt advance before grad- 
uation. 



VII. THE CLASS SECRETARY. 

The class secretary is the executive officer of the class 
and is held responsible for the whole organized life of the 
class. Generally he is chosen by his class before graduation 
and holds office for life, or so long as he attends to his duties 
in a way to satisfy the class that its interests are not being 
neglected. 

Some of the chief duties of the secretary include the keep- 
ing of up-to-date address lists of his classmates ; the collection 
and preservation of biographical material concerning all mem- 
bers of the class ; the maintenance of class statistics ; the ar- 
rangement of class reunions ; he keeps the alumni publica- 
tion informed of the doings of his classmates; he informs the 
class members, once a year or oftener, in a class letter or 
report, the chief items of interest and happenings among 
the members of the class ; in the earlier years after gradua- 
tion he acts as an employment bureau and assists classmates, 
whenever possible, to desirable positions. The capable class 
secretary becomes, in time, the absolute autocrat — in a right 
sense — of the class. 

From time to time the class secretary publishes the ma- 
terial which he gathers, in a volume which is sent to all class- 
mates and copies are filed with the institution and sent to a 
certain selected list of libraries. 

In performing his duties as the chief executive and more 
often the only officer of his class, the secretary appoints com- 
mittees to have charge of various phases of the necessary 
work, such as the arrangement of reunions, collecting money 
for the expenses of his office and to cover cost of publication, 
and various other matters which a live class with a live secre- 
tary will find it worth while to do. The individual work of 
the secretary, aside from furnishing the impetus for class 
activity, is to gather, edit and publish the records of the life 
and history of his classmates. 

53 



54 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

These records include the genealogy of the class members, 
as far back as it is possible to gather such data, together with 
information about the man, personal activities and that of 
members of his family which are published usually at intervals 
of five years, the 25-year and 50-year records being specially 
complete and valuable. 

An association of class secretaries is the natural out- 
growth of the existence of the class secretary. This associa- 
tion will unify the work of the individual and standardize 
the gathering, preservation and publication of material and 
furnish an inspiration and incentive to better and more ef- 
fective work on the part of the secretary who is inclined to 
loaf, or to look upon his position as a mark of distinction 
rather than as an onerous task to be performed with faithful- 
ness and painstaking care. 

The association of class secretaries, has as its natural 
complement, a class secretaries' bureau, which relieves the 
class secretary of much merely routine work and co-operates 
in making his work attain a maximum of efficiency. The 
bureau, working with the class secretary, relieves him of a 
mass of detail and routine work, enabling the secretary to 
devote the time available for his duties as class secretary, to 
the things which really count and bring important results. 

The class secretary is the most important bond between 
his classmates and between them and the institution. By 
keeping alive and active class spirit and interest in the institu- 
tion, he is the real conservator and promoter of a right alumni 
spirit. 

The class is the natural unit in all alumni work and the 
class with a live secretary is fortunate indeed since it means 
that in that class, at least, there will be kept alive and cher- 
ished the memories of student days and the friendships which 
mean more than any other the average college man makes. 
This one thing alone would be sufficient justification for the 
maintenance of a class secretary. 

Not only is the class spirit kept alive and the joys of 
college days renewed, but, the live class is bound to furnish 



The Class Secretary 55 

the live alumni, those who remember that Alma Mater has 
claim on their allegiance, and alumni support of all legitimate 
college activities is assured. 

The Class Organization at Illinois. 

Illinois has an excellent system of class organizations. 
The plan v^orks so well that it is outlined briefly here. To 
secure good permanent secretaries is the first task. Some 
classes choose their own secretaries voluntarily. When a class 
does not, the alumni secretary selects several candidates who 
give promise of being good secretarial material and sends out 
their names as candidates for the position. The class mem- 
bers respond with their votes and the secretary is chosen. 
Since the system of class secretaries was planned all classes 
choose their secretary before graduation and even the fresh- 
men are induced to choose a permanent secretary. This enables 
the class to keep up its records of all who were members of 
the class and who drop out. One of the duties of the class 
secretary is to get in touch and keep in touch with such 
former members. All class secretaries receive some sort of 
communication from the alumni secretary at least once each 
month, usually a personal letter. The association also sends 
the class secretary notice of all changes of address of class 
members and revises class lists whenever requested to do so. 
The association office helps to organize class reunions and 
begins to stir up the class secretaries a year before such re- 
unions are due. All alumni day reunions center about the 
class units. It is found that the good secretaries stimulate 
the poor ones. The class secretaries constitute the member- 
ship of the association's membership committee and success- 
ful campaigns for members and subscribers for the alumni 
publications are carried on through the class secretaries. The 
spirit of class rivalry is thus aroused. The live classes strive 
for the leadership and those less alive strive not to be at the 
foot of the list. 

Caution. 

A word of caution may not be out of place at this point. 
Associations which have not organized a system of class sec- 



56 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

retaries, should not be deterred from doing so by considera- 
tion of the formidable machinery which has been built up 
at other institutions. It is not at all likely that any insti- 
tution would find it desirable to adopt, outright, a system 
in use at any other institution. But, it is safe to say, that no 
institution that desires to make the most of the force repre- 
sented by its alumni body, can afford to forego an attempt 
to incorporate some of the features of this system in its plans 
for developing alumni work. 

Class Secretary System at Yale. 

The class secretary system, which originated at Yale, is 
carried out no where else so fully as at Yale. Hence we are 
giving with some detail, an account of the way the system 
works out at Yale. 

The system, at Yale, gradually developed, no one knows 
when it really started, but the class of 1792 compiled and dis- 
tributed a biographical record of its members and the editor 
was known as the secretary of his class. From 1792 on, a 
period of one hundred twenty-four years, nearly every class 
has been organized with a secretary as its executive officer 
and editor of a series of records. 

The secretary is responsible for the whole organized life 
of the class. There is no such officer as class president among 
the Yale alumni. The class secretary is elected in the senior 
year and is re-elected or succeeded, from time to time, so long 
as members of the class survive. 

The secretary keeps annotated address lists and occupa- 
tion lists and marriage and family lists of the class members. 
In the younger classes he acts as a bureau of occupations 
and recommendations for classmates desiring new positions. 
To him first are referred questions involving special class 
action or affecting cla^s policy. In short, he performs the 
duties of the executive officer in a highly autocratic organiza- 
tion. There is no class or general alumni constitution dele- 
gating these powers to the secretary. The duties have in the 
course of years been thrust upon him because the whole 
system seemed to work best under that plan. 

While ,the secretary has general jurisdiction over class 



The Class Secretary 57 

affairs, his specific function, as his title implies, is to gather, 
to compile and to publish the records. Other officers, some- 
times appointed by the secretary, sometimes elected by the 
class, arrange for specific reunions, collect money for current 
expenses and for the University Alumni Fund, manage annual 
dinners, devise and present memorials to the university. The 
secretary's specific and individual duty concerns the personal 
life of the members and the published records of this life. 

Yale is unique in the matter of class records. A Yale 
class, like those at many American colleges and universities, 
publishes a Senior Book, a volume containing portraits and 
brief sketches of the members of the class at graduation. 
This, however, is just the beginning of the series of records 
of any class at Yale. Most classes now issue more or less 
extensive biographical records of their members at five, year 
intervals after graduation so long as the last survivor lives. 
The complete library of records of a class usually numbers 
from five to a dozen volumes. These publications, in general, 
follow the reunions, many of the records, comparatively short, 
consisting of an account of the last reunion and brief sketches 
of the recent events in the men's careers. Practically always 
a record, even a supplementary one, prints as its principal 
contents some information about the lives of the members. 
At the ten year, twenty-five year and the fifty year periods, the 
records are more extended. At these times, the biographies 
are given quite fully. The ten year record, starting with the 
undergraduate years as a background, traces the growth of 
the men in making their start in the world. It records the 
beginnings of careers which come to fullness much later. 

The records which appear at twenty-five years and fifty 
years after graduation are often distinct contributions to 
American biography, as well as of interest to the men chron- 
icled and to their friends. The twenty-five year records reg- 
ularly contain a quite complete sketch of each member, giving 
often some genealogical background, a full account of college 
life and some two to five hundred words concerning after 
career. Each biography is illustrated with portraits of the 
man as he appeared at senior year in college and as he appears 
twenty-five years after graduation. This twenty-five year 



58 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

record is, in most cases, the magnus opus of the class secre- 
tary. Men of some literary ability have made these records 
of human interest and of historical value in showing thus a 
cross section of American life and achievement. The fifty 
year record has the advantage of reviewing the lives of the 
men when their work is practically over. The secretary writ- 
ing his semi-centenary record is in the position of the histor- 
ian. He views and records lives whose active work is of the 
past, whose earthly content has, in the majority of cases, been 
completed. The supplementary records extend from fifty to 
a hundred pages. The comprehensive ones run from three 
hundred to a thousand pages. 

The class record industry at Yale has reached substantial 
proportions. There is now a library of 540 volumes of class 
records, not including small pamphlets and address lists. 
These volumes run to the impressive total of 65,000 pages. 
This, in itself, is no small contribution to American biography. 
Due, in part, to the inspiration of this impressive list of class 
records, extensive researches into the lives of early Yale grad- 
uates have been made and published during the past quarter 
of a century. This work has been so far completed that now 
with the single exception of a small group of graduates of 
the Medical School, Yale has published biographies of all of 
her twenty-nine thousand graduates from 1702 to 1914. 

This matter of publishing extensive biographical volumes 
became, with the present large classes, so taxing a business 
for secretaries, busy with important work of their own, that 
at the initiation of the Yale Association of Class Secretaries, 
there was established a few years ago an office called the 
Class Secretaries Bureau. This office, under the direction of 
a young secretary, has helped to direct into the most desirable 
channels the work of the secretaries while it has taken off 
their shoulders the great amount of the routine labor of 
gathering and compiling the biographies, and of seeing the 
volumes through the press. The secretary, by making use of 
the Bureau in his publications, may direct all the work, may 
add the personal touch by going carefully over the compiled 
biographies and revising them, and, at the same time, may 



The Class Secretary 59 

have the detailed drudgery of the work done for him by a 
corps of trained experts. 

The Class Secretaries Bureau has been of help not only in 
having published increasingly accurate and satisfactory rec- 
ords, but also in enabling the best men to continue to serve 
as secretaries. The best man is apt to be the busiest man, 
and, although a busy man is the one who gets results, it is 
not to be expected that such a one can devote many hours of 
many days to routine biographical labor. For such positions 
of leadership as the secretaryship, strong men must be elected 
if the organization is to stand. Thanks partly to the bureau 
and, to a much greater degree, to an honorable tradition, the 
strong men in Yale classes continue to consent to serve as 
secretaries and to regard their election as an honor. Upon 
the qualities of leadership and of some biographical instinct 
in the secretaries has rested the success of the class secretary- 
ship at Yale for a century and a quarter. 

The question is sometimes raised, even at Yale : What is 
it all about? What purpose does the class secretary serve 
in the economy of Yale? Why all this waste? Why is not 
the money devoted to scholarships or to assist in raising sal- 
aries of professors? The following statement sets forth some 
of the services which the class secretary system renders the 
University. 

The first result of good organization of a representative 
college class is the helpful, enriching bond which is thus pro- 
vided for the members themselves. Some of the rarest and 
fondest experiences of a college man's life are to be found 
in the life-long companionship with friends discovered and 
intimately known in undergraduate days. Meeting individ- 
uals of this intimate circle is a joy; association occasionally 
with numbers of them is an inspiration ; following the careers 
of these men throughout a lifetime is of the most vital interest, 
and the knowledge that each man's life is being thus watched 
by his classmates is an encouragement and a steadying in- 
fluence. Personal contact of man with man, of one unit of 
life with other units, is by some thinkers considered the chief 
purpose of life, as it is its chief means of development. Cer- 
tainly there is unique opportunity for this "soul friction," 



60 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

this rubbing of man against man, in the intimate and con- 
genial college associations. Any organization which fosters 
these natural bonds of friendship and companionship is, by 
that very fact, accomplishing a purpose well worth while. 

A graduate class organization is of value in binding a 
group of men together for their own good and their own 
pleasure. It is also valuable in binding these men to their 
Alma Mater, the institution from, which the class was born. 
In keeping alive the personal interest in Yale of some twenty- 
five thousand living graduates and former students, a prime 
question concerns the points of contact, the tentacles by which 
the whole is to be held to the parent structure, or, to change 
the simile, the units by which the general loyalty is to be 
built up. Now at Yale, the most natural unit of organization 
is the class. Of the whole graduate body, here is a small 
group of from one hundred to three hundred men, of the 
same age, of the same Yale associations and possessing the 
tremendous advantage, from the standpoint of organization, 
of mutual knowledge and liking. Here is firm, almost in- 
divisible unit, by means of which the whole undergraduate 
organization can most easily be built. As a matter of fact, 
other units are also employed in graduate organization at 
Yale. There is the bond of locality of residence, exemplified 
in the city and sectional alumni associations, numbering now 
some 81 groups. There is the bond of common interest, such 
as the group of graduates interested in publishing, who form 
the leaders and the supporters of the University Press and the 
Yale Publishing Association, the group of graduates inter- 
ested in extension of Yale Christian influence, exemplified in 
the Yale Foreign Missionary Society, the group interested in 
athletics, who form the graduate directors and supporters of 
the Athletic Association, etc., etc. All of these interlocking 
groups enrich and strengthen the whole, but the ultimate 
basis upon which the Yale graduate organization and loyalty 
rests is the class. In this, for which the secretary is chiefly 
responsible, lies the chief dependence of continued graduate 
interest in Yale and loyalty to her. 

It will not be necessary in this place to develop at length 
the value to a university of alumni support. This value, finan- 



The Class Secretary 61 

cial and moral, seems so evident to us that it may be taken 
as a kind of axiom. The point emphasized here in closing is, 
that the intimate comradeship among members of classes scat- 
tered to every corner of the country and the helpful loyalty 
of these groups to a university, which in drawing its students 
and in extending its influence, reaches every grade of society 
and every section of the country, perform a unique service to 
our Nation. This Nation, in its great and rapid development, 
needs and requires the influence of such groups "and such 
universities, at once unifying and inspiring. 

The Yale system of class secretaries has been developed 
and maintained for a period almost exactly commensurate with 
the existence of this Nation. This system and the secretaries 
themselves have been and continue to be of rather distinct 
help in extending the possibilities of the best fellowship and 
friendship and in building up loyalty and support to a great 
university, which, in turn, through its graduates and its influ- 
ence, is one of the forces in developing and preserving the 
Nation. 

Class Constitutions. 

Uniform constitutions for all the classes in the University 
is a feature of class organization at the University of Michigan. 
This i^niform constitution was drawn up by a committee of 
the student council with the assistance of the faculty com- 
mittee on student affairs. It is adopted ordinarily by all the 
freshmen classes and is in force during the four years of their 
residence. An article providing for the appointment of alumni 
officers is also incorporated. This article is as follows : 
"Section 1. — Class Committee. 

During the second semester of the senior year, there shall 
be elected in a manner to be determined by the class, an alumni 
secretary-treasurer, and at least two others who, with the 
alumni secretary-treasurer as chairman, shall constitute the 
class committee. In the department of literature, science, and 
the arts, at least one member of the committee shall be a 
woman. 
"Section 2. — Duties of the Alumni secretary-treasurer. 



62 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

The duties of the alumni secretary-treasurer shall be as 
follows : 

1. He shall send frequently to The Michigan Alumnus 
items concerning the class. 

2. He shall issue a directory of the class and a financial 
report following each reunion and send copies of these to the 
general secretairy of the alumni association and to members 
of the class. 

3. He shall solicit contributions to the class fund. 

4. He shall discharge such other duties as may properly 
be performed by him. , 
"Section 3. — Duties of the class committee. 

Th« duties of the class committee shall be as follows : 

1. It shall have charge of class reunions which shall be 
called in accordance with the program of class reunions as 
provided for by the alumni association of the University of 
Michigan. 

2. It shall meet upon call of the alumni secretary-treas- 
urer and co-operate with him in the discharge of his duties. 

Constitution. 
As the class secretary problem is very much the same 
throughout the whole country, the constitution of the class 
secretaries' association of Cornell is submitted. This can be 
modified to meet any unusual conditions that may obtain in 
any college planning on organizing such an association. 

Article I. 

NAME. 

The name shall be "The Association of 

Class Secretaries.'' 

Article II. 

OBJECT. 

The object of this Association shall be to see that proper, 
complete and uniform statistics of each class are prepared, 
and that each class be encouraged to publish these class 
records at suitable intervals in a uniform manner; that the 
regular class reunions are organized in such a way as to 
secure the greatest attendance ; that the work of all the Class 



The Class Secretary 63 

Secretaries be stimulated and standardized by proper co-oper- 
ation, and that greater unity of action and feeling be developed 
in the various classes, in the various Alumni Associations, and 
in the Alumni body as a whole. 

Article III. 

OFFICERS. 

The officers of the Association shall be : 

1. A President v^hose duties shall be those of presiding 
officer and who shall also be ex-officio member of the Execu- 
tive Committee. 

2. A Vice-President who shall, in the absence of the 
President, act as presiding officer. 

3. A Treasurer who shall collect the annual dues and 
keep the accounts of the Association. 

4. A Secretary who shall perform the usual duties of 
that office. He shall also be a member of the Executive 
Committee, and shall act as Chairman of that Committee. 

5. Three members of the Executive Committee. 

Article IV. 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 

The Executive Committee shall consist of the President 
and the Secretary, ex-officio, and three other members. The 
Secretary of this Association shall act as Chairman of this 
Committee. The Executive shall be trusted with the general 
management of the Association. It shall have the power 
to appoint special committees from time to time, and act 
upon the reports submitted by such committees, and it shall 
be its duty to receive suggestions from members and take 
action upon them. It shall, if possible, take annual action 
looking toward the appointing of efficient Class Secretaries 
by the graduating class of University. 

Article V. 

MEETINGS AND ELECTIONS. 

There shall be an annual Business Meeting held in 
on some day in the month of February of each 



year. There shall also be an Annual Meeting in- 



64 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

on some day in the month of June of each year, and at this 
meeting shall be held the Annual Election of Officers and 
Members of the Executive Committee. 

Article VI. 

MEMBERSHIP. 

The Active Membership of this Association shall consist 

of the Class Secretaries of University, and two 

members from the graduates of the Medical School in New 
York City. 

There shall be an Honorary Membership of such persons 
as may from time to time be elected at the regular meetings. 

Article VII. 

DUES. 

! The Annual Dues for all Active Members shall be Two 
($2.00) Dollars payable at the Annual Meeting in February 
in each year. 

Article VIII. 

AMENDMENTS. 

Amendments may be made at any Annual Business Meet- 
ing of the Association by a two-thirds vote of those present. 
Notice setting out the proposed amendment shall be sent at 
least ten days before such meeting, addressed to each member 
of the Association. 

Further Information. 
There are several very valuable publications upon this 
subject, which any alumni association, planning to undertake 
such an organization, should study carefully. The completest 
of these publications is probably "Class Secretaries and Their 
Duties," by Henry P. DeForest, of Cornell University. "The 
Handbook for Class Secretaries," issued by the Yale Asso- 
ciation of Class Secretaries, is very complete and practical. 
"A Manual of Methods for Class Secretaries," by W. F. Shel- 
don, Wesleyan University, will be found helpful. 



VIII. THE LOCAL ALUMNI CLUB. 

With the organization of the alumni of any college or 
university into a general association, there comes inevitably 
a further subdivision into class organizations, and local alumni 
associations or clubs. In fact, in some cases, these come 
before any general organization of the alumni. 

Each of these two forms of organization serve, in a gen- 
eral way, certain definite interests. Where the class organiza- 
tion is useful in keeping alive the social and personal side of 
the interest of the individual alumnus in his alma mater, the 
local association has greater possibilities as a center for active 
and aggressive support of the institution and its policies. 
The class is scattered and ordinarily can only be reached 
through correspondence, or, very occasionally at the class 
reunions, while the local association is, or can be made, a 
closely-knit body responsive to calls from the general asso- 
ciation and from the university. It has come to be generally 
recognized that it is through the local organization that the 
university can most readily reach the alumni and obtain an 
effective expression of opinion, and it is in proportion as 
the university seeks the opportunity to keep in touch with 
her alumni, that the local association grows. This fact is 
becoming so generally recognized that greater stress is being 
placed at present by most universities upon the local asso- 
ciations than upon organizations by classes. The class is 
more apt to find inspiration within itself; it is only natural 
that some form of organization be preserved, whereas a local 
club often needs an external stimulus to become effective. 

The first object, usually, which brings a group of alumni 
together, is the desire to recall the memories of college days 
and to renew old associations. This first impulse is purely 
social and is apt to go no further than an annual dinner fol- 
lowed by reminiscences from old graduates, discussions of 
the current athletic problems, and college songs, with perhaps 

65 



66 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

a vague desire to be of some service to the university. This 
in itself is a worthy object, and many clubs stop there. But 
such associations do not fulfill their possibilities ; as has been 
suggested, they can be made, and frequently do become, a 
very real force in supporting their institution and in civic 
affairs. To become effective, therefore, the local club should 
have, in addition to the social aspects of its activities, some 
organic relationship to the university and to the general 
alumni association ; they should find for themselves, or be 
provided with, other reasons for their existence as organized 
bodies. Many of the questions before the American univer- 
sity of today, considered, as is proper, as a body made up of 
students, faculties, and alumni, are profitable matters for 
alumni consideration. The active support, financial and moral, 
of specific undertakings of the university should always be 
an object for the activities of the local association, and if the 
general association is sufficiently alive, it is not difficult to see 
that the proper fuel is supplied. In addition, the local or- 
ganization may well find a valid excuse for existence in its 
relations to the life of its own community. A body composed 
of those who have had special advantages and training, the 
members may well feel some responsibility toward the civic 
and political life around them. Thus, we have three ways 
in which the local association may justify its existence : First, 
through its purely social aspects ; second, through the support 
of the university ; and third, through its relations to the com- 
munity in which its members live. 

Little need be said regarding the purely social aspects 
of a local alumni club. Ordinarily the organization is able 
to take care of this side of its activities, particularly if the 
university can be relied upon for an occasional speaker, slides, 
films, or other means to round out the program for an en- 
thusiastic and profitable evening's entertainment. 

The question of practical and intelligent support of the 
university is less simple. It is necessary first, to find what 
the institution needs, and second, how the local club can best 
furnish effective support. 

The character of the local club necessarily varies with 
different institutions. The alumni body of the large endowed 



The Local Alumni Club 67 

university finds different problem's before it than do the alumni 
of the smaller college or the state university. In many in- 
stitutions the alumni have a voice in the election of the 
trustees of the university; this gives an immediate and neces- 
sary reason for existence, and also for some intelligent con- 
sideration of university affairs. This is not practicable, ordi- 
narily, in the case of state universities, though in some cases, 
members of an alumni advisory board are elected by the local 
associations. Some universities, notably Harvard, have united 
the local clubs into a general federation, incorporating cer- 
tain districts in the country into a Federation of Harvard 
Clubs, which meets annually and aims to further the interests 
of the university in every possible way. 

There are many lines of specific activity open to a local 
association : One of the most important is its function as a 
medium of relationship between the university and the local 
community. While keeping the university in touch with the 
different sections of the country, it can also present to the 
people of the locality correct ideas concerning the institution. 
It can support the work of the general alumni association for 
the university by various forms of co-operation ; maintain 
careful address lists, secure support for the alumni publica- 
tion, furnish to the magazine items of interest concerning 
local alumni, and keep in touch with promising young men 
and women who should have an opportunity to secure a col- 
lege education, and at times help them to secure such an 
education. The local association can materially help in the 
financial support of the institution, interest wealthy alumni, 
and citizens, in the university, establish fellowships and schol- 
arships and make known to the public the needs of the in- 
stitution. For the graduates of the state universities, too, there 
is always the opportunity to help secure the support of the 
people of the state for the university, particularly when a 
question of financial support comes before the legislature. 

As regards the final avenue of service for the local club, — 
its identification with the social and civic problems of the 
community — little has been accomplished so far in comparison 
to what the field offers to such a body of college graduates. 
The movement, however, has assumed definite form in the 



68 " Hand Book of Alumni Work 

large cities and promises to spread. Some clubs at their 
weekly or monthly luncheons make it a practice to have a 
special speaker, not necessarily an alumnus, who has some 
definite message upon a live topic of the day. Many times 
the newspapers are interested in these meetings and publish 
extended reports. Other clubs have undertaken to co-operate 
in civic movements in supporting local high schools and train- 
ing schools, and in such charitable undertakings as night 
schools and the *'big brother" movement. All this marks 
but a beginning of what may become one of the larger aspects 
of the work of the local alumni club. 

Many methods have been devised to make practicable 
an effective support of the local organization in the ways 
that have been suggested. The local clubs in the larger cities 
have always been the most successful; not only are there 
a larger number of alumni upon which to draw for support, 
but the establishment of monthly or weekly luncheons is 
particularly popular in the larger centers. In many univer- 
sities a list of these luncheons is published in the alumni 
magazine,, so that the traveling graduate may find just where 
he can meet his fellows, if he happens to be on hand at the 
right time. For the club in smaller cities or in the larger 
cities where only a few graduates of any university happen 
to live, the annual or semi-occasional gathering is usually all 
that is feasible. These, however, may be made of profit to 
the university over and above the benefits which arise from 
the purely social aspect of the meeting — keeping alive the in- 
terest and enthusiasm of the individual alumnus. Reports 
may be sent from the university, and in many cases, speakers, 
delegated to meet with these groups, review the progress of 
the university and outline the questions before it. Such a 
report is always listened to with interest; sets of slides, and 
of late years, films, have also been used to advantage in such 
gatherings. The same program is followed at the annual 
dinners, where, in some cases several speakers from the in- 
stitution make direct reports to the alumni. Many of the 
associations in larger cities publish small news sheets for 
their members, the cost of which is included in their dues. 
These give short items of interest concerning the university 



The Local Alumni Club 69 

and their local members, as well as carrying announcements 
of the various undertakings of the club. Many associations 
divide their work into several divisions, one committee hav- 
ing charge of the publication, one of the local activities of 
the club, getting in touch with recent graduates, finding po- 
sitions for them if necessary, inducing members to co-operate 
in social service work, and serving the local needs in various 
ways. Another committee has in charge the programs of 
the weekly or monthly meetings, which sometimes include 
summer outings, base-ball games, and excursions to various 
points of interest by street car, automobile, or just plain 
"hikes." In such an association, the annual dinner is a 
special feature which is prepared long in advance with an 
elaborate program. 

In many institutions not the least of the duties of a local 
club is the interesting of high school students in the univer- 
sity they represent. This often demands personal effort on 
the part of the members. Talks are given before the high 
school students ; these are always welcomed, especially if 
they are accompanied by slides or moving pictures. Framed 
photographs of university buildings are sometimes placed in 
high schools by local alumni associations. Often scholarships 
are established with the double purpose of aiding the insti- 
tution and finding the best students. The funds for such 
scholarships are raised in the various ways open to such 
organizations, by including in annual dues, by subscription, 
or by giving entertainments. 

One of the important matters which confront the alumni 
body of a co-educational school, is the question of whether the 
meetings shall be in whole or in part open to both men and 
women. Practical experience has shown that ordinarily the 
meeting which is attended by both men and women is less 
successful than those for men or women alone. In the co- 
educational meeting the men bring their wives and women 
their husbands — many not graduates of the institution, and 
much of the enthusiasm and spontaneity of the meeting is 
lost. It is also difficult to escape a certain formality in a 
meeting at which both men and women are present, who are 
not well known to each other, and who are brought together 



70 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

only through their connection with the institution they repre- 
sent. 

The organization of two associations, one for men and 
one for women, is therefore to be recommended wherever 
practicable — with perhaps one joint meeting during the year. 
Both organizations, it has been proved, work more effectively, 
especially when the desirability for separate associations is 
frankly accepted. 

As They Do At Klinois. 

At a meeting of the National Association of Alumni Sec- 
retaries, held at Nashville, Mr. Frank W. Scott, of the Uni- 
versity of Illinois, outlined some of the specific problems con- 
nected with the organization of local associations and the 
methods which had been devised to meet them. In discussing 
some of the practical details of this work, he said : 

"We first organize our geographical list very carefully 
and attempt to get the people in each locality where there 
are a dozen or more in touch with each other. In order to 
act intelligently, it is necessary to know who are the leaders, 
who have initiative or ambition to do something toward or- 
ganization. Having learned this, we write to these men, 
and keep after them, whether they organize or not. We keep 
writing to them about one thing or another, and attempt 
to get them to organize. When they are organized, we con- 
tinue to write to the secretary or the president of the local 
club, usually to whichever one seems to be the working mem- 
ber of the team, not only about club matters, but occasionally, 
perhaps once a month, to every one of these people, giving 
them some information about the university that is a little 
more private or interesting than anything we publish in the 
Fortnightly. That puts the officers in a good humor. They 
like to be able to disclose something at a club meeting that 
has not already been published, and that the other people 
there don't know. The officer feels that he is really an agent 
of the institution, and of some importance in the organization. 
Naturally we do not tell him anything that will amount to 
indiscretion, but we are willing now and then to take a risk 
for the sake of getting the kind of interested loyalty that that 



The Local Alumni Club . 71 

kind of correspondence produces. We have never yet trusted 
the wrong man. 

In order to stimulate the clubs that seem to be troubled 
with 'hook-worm, or some other deterrent, we make an effort 
to get the students of the university from the town in which 
these clubs are located to organize clubs at the University, 
and then when these students go back at Christmas time or 
vacation, we urge them to hold a meeting at home and invite 
the alumni in. If the alumni haven't been showing much 
spirit, they feel rather ashamed of themselves. This helps to 
stimulate the interest of the alumni in the institution, and 
gets them better acquainted with the students in the Univer- 
sity. We do what we can to assist the students, and the 
alumni also, in getting up these meetings, especially through- 
out the State of Illinois, in the Christmas vacations. 

Another thing we do to keep the local clubs alive is to 
send out suggestions as to what local clubs can do, and why 
there should be local clubs. That is the most frequent ques- 
tion we are asked, "Why should we have a club? What is 
there for us to do ? We see each other often enough, perhaps. 
What is the use to organize? We have a good many clubs 
already." They want ideas. Scarce as they are, we try to 
furnish them some adapted to their own local conditions. 
That is rather a hard job, and it takes some thought, but it 
pays, if you happen to hit the right thing. We are careful 
to send to the secretary of the local club the name of every 
alumnus moving into his territory. One of the regular busi- 
ness routine details of the day is to make the stencils on 
the machine for all of the changes that come in. As soon as 
these new stencils are made, several copies are run off; one 
copy goes to the president's office, for the information of the 
administrative officers, one copy to the secretary of the class 
to which this person belongs, and one copy to the secretary 
of the local club in the place to which the person has removed 
and one copy to the secretary of the local club from which 
the person has gone. It does not take much time, costs very 
little, but it is a service that is very gratefully received by 
all concerned. 



72 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

Then we send out films and lantern slides for communi- 
ties that cannot easily arrange for the production of the films. 
The lantern slide talk recites some of the activities of the 
previous year, or more immediate past, with illustrations of 
the events that can be conveniently illustrated. The movie 
films — we now have two on the road — consist, first, of films 
of the homecoming after the ball game of the previous year, 
and, second, of a play, a very spirited little farce with an 
almost tragical ending, written by a member of the university 
community, and staged and put on by members of the uni- 
versity fraternity club. We have introduced in the play some 
of the things that do not belong to it. In the first place, the 
play is staged on the campus, and all of the exciting events, 
including a violent death, take place amid scenes familiar to 
all of our alumni. We have interpolated views of the uni- 
versity. We placed a machine on top of the highest building, 
and then revolved it, giving a view of the whole campus, 
with the president riding past on horseback, just as he goes 
out every morning for his morning ride over the campus, 
which covers 1,400 acres. A few other prominent university 
men whom the alumni know, posed characteristically, includ- 
ing, for one view, an interview between the dean of men 
and a more or less recalcitrant student. 

These things take well. They help out a club that wants 
to know how to entertain the members when they get together. 
This film cost about $700, so we have to charge for it. The 
others are free. We charge $15.00, but the play itself is so 
good a play, that they can make their $15.00 easily by putting 
it on at some local movie house. 

We take pains to print good accounts of the club meet- 
ings, wherever they happen. It is always worth while to 
print these, and to print them quickly, whether the club scribe 
is sufficiently alert to give you the information promptly or 
not. We know when the meeting is coming off, and if the 
information does not reach us within a liberal minimum time 
after the meeting occurs, we telegraph him. It does not cost 
much and a telegram is worth twenty-five letters for getting 
a response, because a man thinks if it is important enough 
for you to telegraph, it must amount to something, and he 



The Local Alumni Club 73 

wakes up to the importance of the occasion, and his own im- 
portance, and sends in the report at once, when he might 
pay no attention to a letter. 

A local club meeting brings us more publicity than all 
the other agencies that we can employ. A meeting of the 
local club, if there are only five alumni at the meeting, is 
written up in the newspapers. Always they are given liberal 
space, and the people who attend are anxious to have another 
meeting a little later on, so that they can get in the papers 
again, so we help each other out. 

It is a good plan for these meetings to ask in two or three 
or four, or as many prominent men of the town as you can 
accommodate. That pleases the men. It is a compliment to 
them. They are nearly always glad to go, and the news- 
papers are no less glad to write the thing up at length if one 
of their important advertisers or the mayor of the town, or 
some other dignitary has been present at the meeting. And 
thus you, in a way, capitalize for the sake of the university, 
the prominence of the local citizen. It is very helpful. 

We try to include in these meetings from time to time the 
principal of the high school, and let him feel that we feel 
kindly toward him, and toward what he is doing, and so on, 
and in return he takes a kindly interest in the alumni and in 
what they are trying to do, and in the institution they rep- 
resent. 

A local club, in the third place, sometimes gets in touch 
with the best prep school boys in the localities. We do not 
do very much in that direction, because our problem, like that 
of many others here, is not how to get the students, but what 
in the world to do with them when we do get them, but we 
are anxious to have the club get in touch with the best men 
in the high school graduating classes, and some of the local 
clubs do that very well. 

The local clubs assist us very materially in our social 
endeavors with the state legislature. We try to have a club 
in the town from which the leading members of the legisla- 
ture come, and we find this is very helpful. The work is 
not unrelated to the fact that we are now getting about three 
million dollars a year from the state. In fact, these clubs over 



74 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

the state offer a ready means for the spreading of any propa- 
ganda, directly or indirectly, in the interest of the university. 
Finally, these local clubs help us to increase our own 
membership. Our constitution is so drawn that a part of our 
central government is conducted or controlled by representa- 
tives of the local clubs, the local clubs are affiliated with the 
parent organization, and in return for the work of the local 
organization in getting members, we require a minimum num- 
ber of members in order to become affiliated, we return to the 
local club 25 per cent of the fees, fifty cents out of two dol- 
lars, which they may use in carrying on their own local work. 
This is of material aid to us and brings us many members. 

Michigan's Model Constitution. 

The University of Michigan has provided a skeleton con- 
stitution for adoption by the local alumni associations. These 
are sent out in duplicate to every group of alumni planning 
to organize. They have spaces left for filling in the place of 
organization and the names of the officers. The original is 
filed with the association and the duplicate is returned to the 
general association. 

Articles of Association. 
We, the Undersigned, 

residing at ; 

- residing at 

All being graduates or former students of the University of 
Michigan, have associated ourselves under the following con- 
stitution for the purpose therein stated. 

Article I. Name. 

The name of this Association is The University of Michi- 
gan Alumni Association of 

Article II. Location. 
The general office of this Association shall be at 



The Local Alumni Club 75 

Article III. Object. 

This Association is formed to promote, through co-opera- 
tion with the general Alumni Association of the University of 
Michigan, 

(a) Closer fellowship among the alumni and students of 
the University. 

(b) The advancement of the interests of the University. 

(c) The promotion of literary and scientific pursuits and 
matters kindred thereto. 

Article IV. Membership. 
All graduates of the University of Michigan, and all other 
persons who have been in attendance as students at the Uni- 
versity, residing 



shall be members of this Association. 

Article V. Officers. 

The officers of this Association shall consist of a Presi- 
dent, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer who shall ex- 
officio constitute the general Executive Committee of the 
Association. 

The duties of President, Vice-President, and Treasurer 
shall be such as are generally exercised by such officers. 

The duties of the Secretary shall be such as generally per- 
tain to such office, and in addition he shall be charged with the 
duties of notifying the general Alumni Association of the Uni- 
versity of Michigan, at the University, of changes of addresses, 
of deaths and marriages among the alumni of the University 
in this vicinity, of public honors bestowed upon them, and such 
other information as should be a matter of record in the office 
of the General Association, the necessary stationery and post- 
age being furnished by such General Association. 

The Executive Committee shall exercise the power and 
authority of the Association subject to such directions as the 
Association may prescribe. 



7(i Hand Book of Alumni Work 

Article VI. Meetings. 

There shall be held one meeting of this Association annu- 
ally and such other meetings as may be provided for by the 
Association, or called by its Executive Committee. 

Such by-laws may be adopted as from time to time shall 
be deemed advisable by the Association. 

Live Local Associations. 

Live Local Associations. There is one thing upon which 
all alumni secretaries are agreed, that is, that a definite object 
is absolutely essential to the maintenance of live local associa- 
tions. A worthy ambition to do something definite for the in- 
stitution or the community, or both. Among the lines of work 
open to such associations are the following: (1) It can serve 
to center, and keep potentially alive and active, the power rep- 
resented by the local alumni. (2) Keep the central organiza- 
tion informed as to the attitude of the people of their vicinity 
toward the institution. (3) Place before and keep before the 
people of the locality correct ideas concerning the institution. 
(4) Support the work of the central association for the insti- 
tution by insuring the co-operation of the local alumni associ- 
ation with the work of the central organization. (5) Keep the 
alumni informed as to the doings of the members of the local 
association through the alumni publication. (6) Keep in touch 
with promising young men and women who should have an 
opportunity to secure a college education, and, at times, help 
them to secure such an education. (7) Take an active interest 
in local affairs — particularly educational — and every move- 
ment that promises civic betterment. Show the people of the 
community that education has not narrowed but broadened 
our sympathies and ideas, and that we realize that education 
has entailed upon us obligations for service which we are de- 
termined to render. (9) In the case of graduates of state uni- 
versities, the life of the alumnus in the community will show 
whether the state's investment has been worth while — unless 
the alumnus is rendering better service to the commonwealtR 
because of his university training, the state's investment has 
been wasted. (10) Alumni are privileged citizens, and, as 



The Local Alumni Club 77 

such, owe the institution which gave them unusual opportuni- 
ties the best in the way of service for the common good. 

How can the local association be made to live up to its 
opportunities for service? In most cases it will rest upon 
one man or woman to take the initiative. The man or woman 
who can and will give the necessary time to keep the local 
alumni alive to their opportunities for service is doing a work 
that is invaluable. If it is to be done, someone must do it — 
why not I ? 

A Souvenir Program. 

A souvenir program, for the use of local alumni associa- 
tions at their banquets is issued by the alumni association of 
Michigan agricultural college. The programs cost about six 
cents each — the local associations paying for the same. The 
program is issued in such a form that the local association 
can add several sheets, if desired, of local material, such as 
program, menu, officers, etc. 

County Alumni Clubs. 

This idea originated in Iowa but has been adopted by 
other states. The plan is, briefly, to get the students of the 
institution together, just before the Christmas holidays. A 
large room is needed and standards for each county of the state 
are provided. The students gather in groups about their own 
county standards and then each group organizes in its own 
way, and plans for a county reunion, during the holidays, at 
the most convenient point in the county. Alumni, former stu- 
dents and students now enrolled in the institutions co-operate 
to make the affair a success. Before the groups organize, 
those in charge make suggestions as to how to make the 
various meetings a success and answer questions that may be 
asked. A message of some sort is usually sent out to all of 
these meetings from the University and provision is made for 
reporting to the alumni publication accounts of the meetings 
which are published. This plan appeals to county pride and 
engenders a spirit of healthful rivalry and it also insures the 
holding of many enjoyable meetings that would otherwise 
never be held. 



7^ Hand Book of Alumni Work 

Something To Do. 

Local club meetings must have a definite purpose, organ- 
ize a bowling club, or a whist tournament,* or something that 
will bring the local alumni together and give them something 
to arouse their interest and get them to rubbing elbows. The 
necessity of this is demonstrated by almost universal ex- 
perience. 

A Fundamental Principle. 

Organize the alumni and give them something to do. Seek 
alumni co-operation in all great undertakings for the institu- 
tion. It is vitally important that the work be worth doing. 
The big job carries its own appeal. Alumni worthy to be 
called such, welcome opportunities to prove their loyalty. 
They will not seek such opportunities voluntarily, the alumni 
association must furnish the initiative. The alumni should 
emphasize the idea that colleges are for training for life and 
good citizenship. » 

A Loan Fund. 

The raising of a loan fund, to be used to help needy stu- 
dents is the task to which the local alumni associations of 
Delaware College have set themselves. 

The Yale Ideal. 

The local alumni associations of Yale University are said 
to be actuated by two chief motives. First — to spread a cor- 
rect knowledge of Yale in the given community, and second — 
to assist selected candidates from the local community, who 
would not otherwise be able to attend Yale, through loans or 
scholarships. One local association has created a large trust 
fund, from which it provides loans up to $600 a year to schol- 
ars, in each of four classes at Yale. 

A Permanent Secretary. 

A permanent secretary for local associations has been 
found very desirable by Miami University. The responsibility 
being placed upon one man, he feels his responsibility and is 
ready to respond to any call at any* time. 



The Local Alumni Club 79 

Fixed Date for Local Reunions. 

Some associations have found it worth while to hold their 
local reunions all over the world upon the same day; the day 
being fixed to coincide with some important day in the history 
of the institution or the state in which it is located. In Texas 
this day is fixed for March 2d, the date when Texas declared 
its independence of Mexico. This combines state with insti- 
tutional loyalty and has proved to be effective in furnishing 
a keynote for the meetings and an enthusiasm that would 
otherwise be hard to arouse. 

Visiting Local Alumni Associations. 

The secretary will often find it worth while, when visiting 
local alumni associations to attend a meeting, to get in touch 
with the alumni by a direct letter to them telling them of his 
coming and expressing his desire to meet them personally, or 
by calling up the alumni, after reaching the city where the 
meeting is to be held, by phone and extending a personal invi- 
tation to come out and hear about alma mater. Personal calls 
are even more effective and will let the alumni know that you 
consider the occasion one worth while for them to attend. 

Distributing Institutional Literature Through the Local 

Alumni Association. 

At Northwestern University all of the literature which 
the university publishes for prospective students is distributed 
through the local clubs — the literature though printed and paid 
for and published by the institution, has the imprint of the 
local alumni association or club upon it. So that by going out 
under the auspices of the club, it gives all possible publicity 
and prestige to the local organization. 

How TO Handle Large Groups of Local Alumni. 

The Cornell alumni living in Chicago number about seven 
hundred fifty. These men are grouped into fifty squads of 
about fifteen each ; there is a chairman for each squad (the 
squads are grouped as nearly as possible along class lines) usu- 
ally a member of the class most largely represented in the 
squad. The fifty chairmen are grouped into ten squads and 



80 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

each squad is headed by one man; these ten chairmen are 
divided into two squads of five each, and each is headed by the 
Uvest man in the group and these two men are responsible to 
the chairman of the ways and means committee of the Chicago 
local association. This chairman is usually the vice-president 
who is thus made an influential factor in the local organization 
and is not a mere figurehead. When a banquet or other gath- 
ering is desired, the chairman of the ways and means com- 
mittee is told to get busy. He calls up the two men under his 
charge and tells them what is doing; these men in turn, call 
up each of the five under their charge; these, in turn, call up 
the five for whom they are responsible and these five each get 
after the ten men for whom they are responsible and the whole 
seven hundred fifty men are reached directly and personally 
in a way to make them respond. The whole work can be 
done in a few hours, if necessary, and the plan has proven very 
effective. It is a sort of endless chain plan that is utilized for 
a worthy purpose and secures results by interesting a large 
number of individuals and making them take an active part in 
plans for whatever is on foot. This plan is capable of applica- 
tion to the large class organization and to any group organi- 
zation of alumni. 

"Get the Other Two." 

This was the slogan adopted by the members of the Chi- 
cago alumni association of the University of Wisconsin. It 
was found that only one-third of the Wisconsin men and wo- 
men living in Chicago were members of the local association. 
It was voted that each member "get two others" and each 
member was assigned two others and the plan worked well. 
The assignments were made on an arbitrary basis, regardless 
of acquaintance. 

Stereopticon Slides. 

The alumni association will find it worth while to have 
stereopticon slides, showing professors, buildings, words of 
college songs, and general views of the institution grounds and 
groups of alumni, students, big games, or special campus 
affairs, ready to loan to local alumni associations. Moving 



The Local Alumni Chih 81 

pictures from the institutions are a never-failing source of in- 
terest to the alumni. Talking machine records of songs by the 
glee clubs, messages from favorite professors, never fail to 
please the alumni. 

A College Farce. 

"Ohio Wesleyan Farce" is a travesty upon student life at 
that institution which has been prepared for use at local alum- 
ni association meetings. The farce can be given by a few in- 
dividuals and is suited to the purpose for which it was prepared. 

A Jug of Water. 

A jug of water from the sulphur spring on the campus, is 
frequently demanded by the alumni of Ohio Wesleyan Uni- 
versity, for their local meetings. The spring is known to 
every student of that institution and around it centers many 
of the traditions of the college. 



IX. ALUMNI REPRESENTATION ON THE GOVERN- 
ING BOARDS OF AMERICAN COLLEGES. 

The following chapter is based upon an article by Leonard 
P. Wood in the Technology Review (Massachusetts Institute 
of Technology), Vol. VIII, No. 3. In addition to the informa- 
tion given here the article contains several tables showing, in 
detail, the practice in all the leading institutions of the coun- 
try. Anyone wishing to go into this matter more thoroughly 
is referred to that article. 

In accepting the responsibility for naming any members 
of the governing board of their institution, the alumni assume 
grave responsibility for the welfare of the institution, it is of 
course, just such responsibility as the alumni should welcome, 
the greater the responsibility the greater the service if it is 
properly performed. Some participation by alumni in select- 
ing the members of the governing bodies of American colleges 
may be said to be universal. While it is true that in a few 
institutions, the alumni have no direct voice in such selection, 
practically they have an influence which makes them more or 
less responsible. 

Practically all endowed institutions make provision for 
the selection, by alumni, of a definite portion of their govern- 
ing boards. Probably in one-third of the colleges the alumni 
have no direct voice in choosing such members, but the larger 
proportion of these are, of course, state institutions. But even 
where no direct voice is given the alumni, the alumni consti- 
tute a considerable portion of the membership of the govern- 
ing boards, such participation is individual and not alumni 
representation and so affords no means of conserving alumni 
interest and placing alumni responsibility as where the alumni 
themselves have the right to choose certain representatives. 

Formal alumni representation has come into practice dur- 
ing the last half century. It was first adopted by Harvard 

82 



^ 



Alumni on Governing Board 83 

in 1866, more than three-fourths of the privately endowed in- 
stitutions have direct alumni representation on their govern- 
ing boards. 

This representation takes two forms, where the alumni 
chosen representatives are members of the board of trustees 
and where they constitute a separate body. Such trustees, 
ordinarily have the same rights and duties as other trustees 
and in addition the responsibility for keeping the alumni 
authoritatively informed for the condition of the college, its 
aims, its problems and its needs. In some institutions it is 
formally made the duty of such trustees to make a written re- 
port to the alumni along these lines. 

Where the other plan is adopted the alumni board may 
have merely an advisory relation to the board of trustees and 
administration or it may be given the right to review and, 
within limits, reject such action. In some cases certain classes 
of action by the trustees must have the approval of the alumni 
board of overseers before they can become effective. Where 
the relation is a purely advisory one, such advice carries great 
weight and many important changes in college policies have 
originated at such conferences. 

The question as to which of these forms of representation 
is the better must depend largely upon circumstances and the 
individuals who constitute the membership of the boards. It 
is to be said, however, that usually the advisory relation is 
looked upon as a temporary expedient and that the tendency 
is for the alumni to secure full representation upon the primar}^ 
governing board of the college. 

The term of office for alumni representatives is usually 
from three to six years, and frequently provision is made so 
that no individual can be re-elected for more than two con- 
secutive terms. The short term idea brings to the service of 
the institution a larger number of strong men and by the 
wider distribution which this larger number makes possible, 
many more alumni are kept in close touch with the institution. 
The short term also makes the alumni trustee more directly 
responsible to the alumni and permits of dropping those who 
are not distinctly making good in the office and it also fur- 



84 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

nishes an incentive to the alumni to watch the acts of their 
representatives and so keeps alive alumni interest. 

In many cases v^here the charter of the institution pre- 
vents a direct election by the alumni, the trustees agree to be 
bound by alumni nominations which then become in all re- 
spects equivalent to an election. But where the trustees 
simply ask for nominations with the right to reject such nom- 
inations, most of the good results which should come from 
such election are lost and the alumni lose interest in the whole 
affair. 

The methods followed by the alumni in expressing their 
choice of representatives are various in detail, though usually 
falling under one of the following heads : (a) nomination by 
alumni at large, the primary system, or, (b) nomination by a 
committee with provision, usually for the placing of additional 
candidates in the field when there seems to be any general de- 
mand for other candidates. The usual way of nomination by 
direct primary is to send out a ballot and specify that all can- 
didates who receive more than a certain specified number of 
votes shall have their names placed on the final ballot. It 
sometimes happens, however, that the vote is so scattering 
that no candidate receives the requisite number of votes to 
place his name on the list. This contingency is sometimes 
guarded against by providing that a committee shall place 
names in nomination when the preliminary vote fails to select 
candidates. 

There are certain objections to this method of nomination, 
for example, it provides for no machinery to investigate and 
report upon the fitness of candidates and sometimes it has 
been found necessary for voluntary committees to assume 
such responsibility. It is also true that personal popularity 
plays a large part in the selection of candidates, irrespective 
of fitness for the position or probable usefulness as trustees. 
This plan also makes no provision for informing the alumni 
as to the qualifications of the candidates who have been nom- 
inated and unless he may chance to know them personally his 
vote must be cast in the dark or not cast at all. The plan 
furnishes no means of securing geographical distribution of 
the candidates and frequently one or two strong local associa- 



Alumni on Governing Board 85 

tions will dominate the whole election and even a small clique 
may control an election through bringing about a concerted 
action for nominating some man or set of men. 

In spite of its possible difficulties the plan has actually 
worked out well in practice, which is doubtless due to the 
patriotism and good sense of the alumni rather than to any 
merit in the plan itself. Any plan adopted will inevitably 
bring about concerted group alumni activity to secure the 
election of some man or set of men at times. 

Nominations by committee eliminates some of the strong- 
est objections to nominations at large and when committee 
nominations are safeguarded by providing for nominations at 
large when the committee has failed to recognize the merits 
of some person or persons notably well fitted to serve as trus- 
tees, the plan seems most desirable. 

In voting on trustees the franchise is usually limited to 
graduates of the college. This rule is sometimes modified by 
providing that only alumni who have been graduated five years 
may vote. In support of this plan it is argued that it provides 
an electorate better able to judge wisely and that will be less 
influenced by classes, factions, and fraternity affiliations. 
These elements have at times interfered with the selection of 
trustees solely on the basis of merit and the danger is real and 
to be avoided at any cost. In some cases the franchise is 
based upon paid membership in the alumni association and this 
is very helpful in securing active alumni participation in col- 
lege affairs. 

Of course, the thing to be sought, whatever the plan 
adopted, is to secure as complete expression as possible of the 
deliberate judgment of the alumni body and any method which 
will most effectively secure this end is wise. The plan should 
not only be fitted to secure a large participation in the elec- 
tion but should bring home to the individual alumnus his per- 
sonal responsibility for the results of the election — the plan 
should give the alumnus a feeling that he has a real and vital 
part in the selection of trustees to represent him and his fellow 
alumni upon the governing board of his institution. 



X. THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF THE SMALLER 
ENDOWED COLLEGE. 

N. B. — In this connection particular attention is called to 
the report of the conference of the secretaries of smaller en- 
dowed institutions, held at Columbia University, November 19, 
1914, and included in the report of the third conference of the 
Association of Alumni Secretaries, pages 73 to 90. 

In almost every line of its activity, the alumni association of 
one of the smaller endowed colleges has problems and experi- 
ences that are unique and not at all to be met after the fashion 
of the great universities. The Association of Alumni Secretaries 
has recognized this fact in all its programs, and provided special 
conferences for institutions of different types, but the smaller 
associations are still prone to trust too much to what the larger 
ones have found effective. 

Form of Organization. 

In the main lines of its organization the smaller association, 
with approximately a thousand graduates eligible to membership, 
can differ but little from the larger ones. There seems to be 
little doubt that it should include graduates and former students 
on an equal footing. The latter arcs often among the most de- 
voted and helpfully enthusiastic members of the organization. 

Officers. 

Officers should be chosen from year to year not causa honoris 
but because they have energy and a sense of responsibility and 
are in a position to work. The general secretary of the associa- 
tion should be a permanent officer, in some way compensated for 
His services, and the initiative in all matters of importance should 
come from him. 

The Directing Body. 

Besides the usual officers there should be an executive body, 
a representative alumni council. Probably this would best be 

86 



The Smaller Endowed College 87 

elected by members of the various classes, arranged in groups or 
generations, each generation selecting by mail from nominations 
submitted by the officers or the council. For the older alumni, 
of course, more classes would constitute a group. Some associa- 
tions are finding effective a council composed of representatives 
of the important local alumni clubs, with the addition of a few 
representatives-at-large, chosen by general ballot. Others, em- 
ploying the first plan, include also in the council representatives 
from all local clubs over a certain size. Beyond question the 
opinions of the large and active local associations in strategic 
centers are of great importance to the alumni council, but 
there is often considerable difficulty about the attendance of 
their representatives at council meetings. 

Finances. 

The financing of a small alumni association may well be re- 
garded as its most serious problem. The necessary expenditures 
involved are the salary of the secretary, the cost of publishing 
an alumni periodical, and office and clerical expenses connected 
with records, address-lists, correspondence, etc. Beyond this 
the outlay varies according to the ambition and liberality of the 
association, and may include reunion expenses, scholarships, tro- 
phies, and the fulfilling of larger pledges of one sort or another. 
Income may be derived from annual dues, subscriptions, appro- 
priations from the college, special endowments, and a somewhat 
formal process of occasionally "passing around the hat." This 
last is too painful to be dwelt upon and should be avoided wher- 
ever possible. 

When the College Co-operates. 

In many colleges the institution assists at least to the point 
of providing an alumnus who is a member of the faculty or 
otherwise in the employ of the college, who is left with a portion 
of his time free for service as alumni secretary. He is either 
paid for all his duties out of college funds or is compensated to 
such a degree for his regular college duties that the part of his 
salary paid by the association is reduced to a minimum. It fre- 
quently follows that such an officer gives far more of his time 
and energy to alumni work than his financial return for that 
work represents, but the association is not the loser. What the 



88 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

association loses from this dual employment is its independence 
of thought and united expression as to the affairs of the college. 
Under such arrangement the policy of the association is of neces- 
sity the policy of the institution. Instances where there are seri- 
ous divergencies of opinion as to policy between the college ad- 
ministration and a considerable majority of the alumni are com- 
paratively rare, but they are not unheard of among the smaller 
endowed institutions and may well be anticipated in any system 
of permanent alumni organization. 

When the College Assumes Sole Responsibility. 

A number of the smaller colleges find it a highly profitable 
investment to finance their alumni organizations almost entirely. 
The secretary is a part of the administration staff, records and 
correspondence are handled by college officials at college ex- 
pense, and in certain cases a news-letter giving information about 
the college is printed and distributed without cost to all alumni 
not oftener than four times a year. In this way all alumni and 
former students are reached and their interest maintained, and 
still they are not worn out with appeals for dues and subscrip- 
tions. The idea of reaching everybody is good and should be 
carried out wherever possible. 

Advantages of this Plan. 

It may be argued that the alumnus who is not bothered with 
frequent solicitation to keep the mere machinery of the organiza- 
tion going is more ready and willing to give to other and more 
attractive enterprises of his college. The Alumni Council qf 
Union College, for instance, conducts a regular campaign of rais- 
ing funds for the institution and secures an annual sum much 
larger than the college appropriates to it for running expenses. 
But giving to a cause or institution is largely a matter of habit, 
and once some system of dues and subscriptions is started, the 
man who pays these is likely to contribute most freely to other 
college funds. 

The Alumni Publication. 

There is a wide variety of methods for issuing an alumni 
periodical, and financing it in connection with the membership 
dues of the association. The most obvious is to charge an annual 



The Smaller Endowed College 89 

membership fee that shall include the price of a subscription. 
But associations are inclined at present to count all graduates and 
ex-students in their active membership and accept gratefully such 
dues as they can secure on this basis. The paying membership is 
usually estimated at one-fifth to one- third of the whole, and sub- 
scribers to a periodical are not likely to exceed the number of 
paying members. In some cases subscriptions to the magazine 
are secured as far as possible, and a few willing contributors are 
persuaded to add sufficient funds to provide copies for all mem- 
bers. The Oberlin Alumni Magazine, underwritten by a stock 
company of graduates, may be cited as a monthly that circulates 
in a comparatively limited association, and not only makes ex- 
penses but provides an annual traveling fellowship from its 
profits. Advertising in alumni periodicals adds little to the in- 
come, and for the small college with scattered alumni it is diffi- 
cult to secure. 

Except in certain conspicuous instances where an alumni 
magazine has established its place, there is much reason for small 
associations to prefer an inexpensive publication, made up of 
college news and alumni personals, sent quarterly to all the mem- 
bers and financed by the institution, by special endowment, or 
by the help of a small group of stock-holders. Editorial work 
on such a periodical can be obtained without cost, and until the 
recent advance, in prices, a rather large edition could be printed 
very cheaply. Where a live and profitable monthly cannot be 
operated, this is certainly the most practicable substitute. 

Characteristics of a Good Publication. 
Alumni periodicals are read very thoroughly by those they 
reach, — at least so long as the alumni find the contents interest- 
ing. And the interesting features are always "newsy." The 
publication should be large enough and frequent enough to keep 
the really significant developments about the institution clearly 
before its readers, and to give them all the news they can absorb 
about the alumni of their own generation. Articles not about 
the college, and even dull and lengthy deliverances on college 
matters, are out of place. The news itself should be recast and 
"featured" for alumni consumption. Names of students, for ex- 
ample, are interesting so long as they suggest fathers and brothers 
or the old home town, but poured too freely into accounts of 



90 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

activities they only remind the alumnus that he is a stranger to 
alma mater. This problem of editing material to fit the alumni 
point of view is one of several things that render rather futile 
the attempt to carry columns of alumni news in undergraduate 
periodicals. The alumni who patronize a student publication for 
the sake of such news are comparatively few. The undergradu- 
ates who read alumni columns form an entirely negligible quan- 
tity. 

Marking Time is not Enough. 

The alumni association worth while has much more to do 
than to keep its machinery well-oiled. To his alumni ultimately 
every president of an endowed college must look for the funds 
always so seriously needed to increase facilities and strengthen 
work. Wherever possible alumni should be approached through 
the governing board of the association, and made to feel that 
their gifts express the loyalty of the entire alumni fellowship. 
The interests of individual alumni should be studied and they 
should be solicited always along lines that particularly appeal to 
them. One man will always contribute to enrich the religious 
life, of his college, another to improve its scholarship, a third to 
increase the beauty of its surroundings. Many are particularly 
devoted to their fraternities ; most of the younger men give gladly 
for athletic fields and equipment. Certain larger undertakings, 
such as endowment funds and students' buildings; may be sup- 
posed to enlist the support of all alumni and former students 
according to their means, but in cases like these the united tact 
and information of a considerable alumni council will be of great 
value to the officer who directs the general campaign. 

An Education in Giving. 

Most money- raising projects, great and small, are dismal 
operations if alumni have not been educated in the practice of 
giving. The large universities have usually not neglected this. 
But many small colleges, alert enough in pursuit of the occa- 
sional wealthy patron, have developed no system of this kind. 
It commonly emphasizes the class as a unit, and begins with the 
day of graduation. At that time the class pledges itself to accu- 
mulate some reasonable amount of money in a given period — 
five or ten years — after graduation, and to devote this to some 



The Smaller Endowed College 91 

genuine need of the college, which may or may not be specified 
at the time the plan is instituted. Class officers have the re- 
sponsibility of collecting installments from the members, and in 
this very process the ties of class unity are strengthened. By 
the time the fund is completed, the class as a group is usually 
able and willing to continue a process of regular giving with 
some larger object in view. In some cases, colleges maintain a 
sort of "loyalty fund'^ to which individual alumni contribute an- 
nually in small amounts, but the class, with its bond of loyalty 
already established, appears to be the natural unit with which to 
work. 

Advice to Undergraduates. 

There is another form of contribution, which certain alumni 
of small colleges can and will make, with little expenditure of 
time or money, but with very real benefit to the institution. This 
is an organized plan, covering a period of years, by which gradu- 
ates and ex-students, having become prominent in various lines 
of public affairs, return at their own expense to visit their col- 
lege and meet the undergraduates in conferences related to their 
special activities. Miami devised two years ago a program of 
such conferences on the general theme "Business as a profes- 
sion." Within two weeks over twenty prominent Miami men, 
in almost as many lines of business and financial life, had prom- 
ised to take part in this program at some time in the next five 
years. The plan is now being operated most successfully with 
four or five alumni bringing their messages to the students each 
year. The plan is equally applicable to the professions, to wel- 
fare work, and to various special subjects. It has its difficulties, 
between the really big man who is modest of his wares, and the 
smaller man w^ho isn't. If it did no more than to bring in five 
prominent graduates a year as special guests of the college, it 
would justify its institution. 

Advertising the College. 

Other types of alumni activity have little that is unique for 
the smaller endowed college. The obligation upon every man 
and woman to send the best product of such secondary schools 
as he or she knows in the direction of alma mater is the same for 
the college of a hundred students as for the great state universi- 



92 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

ties or for Harvard and Yale. Alumni influence upon college 
policies is in about the same proportion, whatever the size of the 
institution. Certainly the alumni should have influential repre- 
sentation, official or otherwise, on the board of trustees or direc- 
tors, but this is more likely to be the case with the small college 
than with the state university. 

Reunions. 

The smaller college is likely to make a great deal of an 
a^nnual reunion of alumni, during commencement week. The 
older ones have held rather persistently to a somewhat serious 
type of gathering with an orator and various minor speakers, a 
business session, and considerable formality throughout. Present 
tendencies are all in the other direction, however. Such business 
as is transacted is at a session of the Alumni Council, elected by 
mail. Athletic sports and costume parades have forced their 
way in. The several reunion classes, in gaudy attire, own the 
campus for the day, and the occasion is entirely given up to 
jollity and good fellowship. It is a question if the small college, 
returning classes of twenty-five or thirty for reunions, will ever 
make the costume parade an unqualified success, but smokers, 
luncheons, open-air concerts, illuminations, and the like do not 
require so high a type of courage as the costuming. In most 
smaller institutions now the fall Home-Coming, in connection 
with an important football game, is relatively as great a success 
as in the universities, and makes use of the same type of pro- 
gram. 

Local Alumni Associations. 

The smaller colleges often have a difficult problem in or- 
ganizing local associations of alumni and maintaining these in a 
high state of efficiency. Except in one or two adjacent cities, 
the groups are necessarily small, and have not back of them the 
prestige of some great and well-known academic name. But 
these little local groups can render valuable service to the insti- 
tution. Moreover, if properly set going, they are likely to result 
in closer and more profitable friendships for the members. With- 
in a reasonable radius from the college, they should direct the 
annual campaign for new students. They may contribute as a 
group to any worthy cause connected with the college. They 



The Smaller Endowed College 93 

may guarantee glee-club concerts. But two lines of service are 
of particular value to the small college. They should see to it 
that the college secures due publicity of a proper sort in their 
community. Newspapers are anxious to print the news their 
patrons want, and fail utterly sometimes to realize how many 
friends some little college has within their field. Every college 
has on its staff men of authority in their special lines who could 
appear effectively before some local audience if the alumni of 
the community would see to finding a place for them. A second, 
more important service lies in extending a real welcome to 
alumni, particularly the young ones, who are newcomers to the 
city, or even in finding openings and opportunities for the gradu- 
ates each spring who are getting placed. The live local associa- 
tion is always on the alert for those who are yet strangers and 
is eager to place its share of each year's graduating class in 
promising positions. 

Co-operating With Undergraduates. 

At present many of the smaller colleges are taking over from 
the state universities the idea of organizing the smaller cities and 
county seats, where they have some strength, in joint associations 
of undergraduates and alumni. Meetings are held during some 
vacation, usually the Christmas holidays, and old and young meet 
together in the most cordial spirit to discuss conditions at the 
college and consider means to render some distinct piece of 
assistance. These organizations are most helpful in securing 
new students for the college. 

The Class Organization. 

However much local associations may accomplish, the class 
organization is the more natural and permanent unit of alumni 
activity. Its unity has been established in the four years of 
college companionship and should be cemented before gradua- 
tion by a permanent organization. In small colleges, where it 
is so easily possible for all members of a class to be well ac- 
quainted, there is no excuse for inactive alumni classes. The 
first problem is the choice of a secretary, who must be faithful, 
resourceful and something of a projector and idealist. Often 
he is selected in the freshman year and serves an undergraduate 
apprenticeship. Any plan is good that will save the class after 



94 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

graduation from the idle or inefficient officer. The second prob- 
lem is to see to it that the class always has something to do, 
some goal toward which all the members are working together. 
The class pledges already mentioned would provide for that. So 
important are these class organizations considered that many 
associations are creating councils of class secretaries, with an- 
nual meetings or some form of inter-communication on methods 
of procedure or matters of interest to all. What has been said of 
'class secretaries applies equally well to secretaries of local asso- 
ciations. In some cases they too assemble regularly, so far as 
they are able, for conference on policies and methods. 

Alumni Records. 

Underlying all alumni activities is the absolute necessity of 
complete and accurate records and address-lists of graduates and 
ex-students. The associations whose entire list does not exceed 
2,500 names are likely to be more lax in this regard than much 
larger ones. It is no easy matter to keep such lists up to date. 
The majority of people are just a trifle offended to think that the 
old college has lost track of them, but they are very loath to send 
a change of address to the alumni secretary. Part of the secre- 
tary's duty is to create a habit of sending news and then to keep 
cultivating that habit to the end of his official life. A complete 
directory should be maintained in at least two forms, — alphabeti- 
cal and geographical. In some offices biographical details are 
recorded with the address on the cards in the alphabetical file, 
but wherever possible there should be a separate cabinet of 
biographical information, large enough to contain a good-sized 
folder or envelope for each name. Here it is easy to file clippings, 
letters, and the like, as well as notes; and the essential facts 
about an alumnus are ready for instant reference. Where an 
addressing-machine is used, the alumni stencils for this may be 
substituted for one or the other of the above lists, in whole or 
in part. Experience has shown that usually it is more con- 
venient to have a mailing list arranged in geographical divisions, 
as in that way the addressing-machine may be used for various 
small jobs impossible with an alphabetical file of stencils. 

Changes of address are of course reported at various times 
during the year; but especially among young graduates who are 



The Smaller Endowed College 95 

teaching there is an annual period of "fall moving," just about 
the opening of the college year. This too is the time when local 
associations wish to get their rolls revised, preparatory to the 
winter meetings. It is highly advisable to send out new address- 
blanks each September, and to follow these up, if necessary, in 
order to get a return from the largest possible percentage of the 
alumni roll. The blank, if so desired, can be combined with a 
subscription blank for the alumni periodical. As soon as possible 
a revised directory should be printed and distributed, Vv^ith a re- 
newed request for information. This directory, if issued every 
year, may be printed in inexpensive form, and should contain 
only names, addresses, and possibly occupations. It may contain 
only alumni, by classes, or be an alphabetical list of alumni and 
former students. There may be a complete geographical list 
added. By all means such a list should be included for the terri- 
tory covered by local alumni organizations. 

It is impossible to specify how the considerable clerical labor 
connected w^th these lists and with other alumni duties should 
be handled. Much of it seems mechanical, but it must be done 
intelligently and with loving care. Alumni like to feel that every 
word they write to the institution has the personal attention of 
the president, or at least the alumni secretary. An alumnus once 
offended may mean an alumnus lost. A body of alumni treated 
with courtesy and consideration are the small college's most pre- 
cious asset. To most people they are the college itself. 



XL ALUMNI ACTIVITIES. 

There is no phase of college or university life upon which 
the alumni of some institution do not exert an influence. Not all 
associations touch all, nor, perhaps, even many phases of the 
institution's life, but every association touches and exerts an in- 
fluence upon some phase of such life. Some associations con- 
fine their efforts largely to the social side of alumni activities. 
They try to get the graduates back at least once each year and 
so keep them interested in the college and ready to respond to 
the institution's call for support or service of some kind. Where 
the alumni have the right to name certain members of the gov- 
erning board, alumni activity naturally centers in, and is built up 
around this function. One of the most natural and common 
functions of alumni associations, especially in endowed institu- 
tions, is raising money for endowment, for buildings, for library, 
for professorships, and the many things for w^hich a college 
always finds itself in need of funds. Not infrequently the alumni 
publication, which keeps the individual alumnus in touch with 
his institution, is the most important single activity. There has 
been a tremendous development and spread of the alumni journal 
during the past few years. The quarterly and monthly publica- 
tion is naturally the most common form, but the weekly is also 
well established, and Yale, Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, Cali- 
fornia, Minnesota, Columbia and Michigan Agricultural College 
have all established weekly publications that exert a powerful 
influence. 

In state-supported institutions, alumni activity naturally 
takes another bent. The association exerts its influence to help 
secure adequate legislative provision for the institution. When 
the members of the governing boards are elected, the association's 
duty includes the securing of the nomination and election of 
men and women fitted for the task. When the members of the 
governing boards are appointed, influence must be exerted to 
prevent the appointment of members as a reward for political 
service and to insure the selection of the best men possible. The 

96 



Alumni Activities 97 

alumni also find an important task in trying to place the institu- 
tion in a proper light before the people of the state. In the case 
of both endowed and state-supported colleges and universities, 
alumni frequently exert influence upon their particular institu- 
tion, in various phases of its life, by acting in an advisory capa- 
city. Sometimes regularly constituted committees visit classes 
and report their finding and recommendations to the governing 
body. Specific lines of work open to alumni associations will be 
found set forth in the following paragraphs. 

Raising Money at Worcester. 

One of the most noteworthy achievements by >alumni in rais- 
ing money was that of the alumni of Worcester Polytechnic In- 
stitute. The success of the movement is due almost wholly to 
the work of Arthur D. Butterfield, alumni secretary and a pro- 
fessor in that institution. The story of the movement is so in- 
structive and helpful that it is given in brief outline. The In- 
stitute was founded in 1865, so that when this movement was 
undertaken in 1911, it was forty-six years old and the alumni 
body numbered but fourteen hundred. Half of these had gradu- 
ated within the past thirteen years. Twice before the alumni had 
raised small sums for special purposes. About thirty years pre- 
vious $4,000 had been raised for the library. Between 1902 and 
1908 the alumni succeeded in raising $47,000 for an athletic field. 
The third movement grew out of an offer of the class of '86 at 
its twenty-fifth reunion anniversary. This class offered to give 
$1,000 for the development of the athletic field if thirty other 
classes would do the same. The offer aroused much discussion 
but few believed that it could be accepted and the whole matter 
of raising money for a gymnasium was left to the executive 
committee. The executive committee first issued a letter to the 
class secretaries asking whether the class had any special plan 
for raising money, and if not, would it co-operate with the general 
secretary along some definite line. The second step was the 
issuing of a printed booklet, entitled "What we propose to do." 
This summarized what had been done in the years preceding, 
giving a statement of what each class had given toward buying 
the original field, and then outlined the plan, which briefly was 
an attempt to raise $200,000 and have it paid within four years. 



98 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

this money to be used to develop an athletic field, build, equip 
and endow a gymnasium. The reason four years was selected 
was that that year, 1915, would bring the Institute to the 50th 
anniversary of the granting of the charter, and to aim to accom- 
plish something definite, and attain its fulfillment at that date, 
it was felt would create a sentiment helpful in carrying out the 
work. Also the reason that $200,000 was selected was that the 
committee felt that the larger the undertaking, provided it was 
not wholly impossible, the more chance they stood of carrying 
it through. Of this $200,000, it was proposed that $25,000 be 
used for putting the field in shape for athletic purposes, $100,000 
for the gymnasium building, and $75,000 to equip the building 
and add money enough ($60,000 being assigned) to the treasury 
of the Institute, so that the income would pay for the up-keep of 
the building and field. In making out this plan the acting presi- 
dent of the Institute was often consulted. He had offered to 
attempt to raise the money for the gymnasium, this part of the 
problem was therefore left to him, and he reserved for his field 
forty-five of the alumni who were considered able to give $1,000 
or more apiece. To the general secretary was given the problem 
of raising the other $100,000 from the remaining alumni. Pledge 
blanks were prepared which stated that the signer approved of 
the movement and was willing to aid, giving a certain sum an- 
nually for four years, the first payment to go toward the $25,000 
necessary to grade the field, and the next three payments toward 
the $75,000 to be used for equipment and endowment. A clause 
was inserted stating that each part of the pledge was good only 
on the condition that the total amount of that part pledged be 
secured. The fact that the pledge was good only in case of 
success was a great help to the work, for practically all were 
willing to make sacrifices for the sake of accomplishing a great 
end, since they realized that they were not alone in the work. 
Before starting the active canvass, each class was carefully gone 
over by the secretary in consultation with some member of the 
class. Each individual was discussed, both as regards his finan- 
cial ability and his probable interest, and a definite sum to ask 
for was put against his name, thus resulting in a definite sum as- 
signed to a class. In general it was planned to ask the older 
graduates for a little more per capita than the more recent gradu- 



Alumni Activities 99 

ate. In this general way, the total amount desired from the rank 
and file was planned out on paper, and if the list of 45 men re- 
served by the president would take care of their $100,000 it 
seemed probable that the total amount could be raised. On July 
17, the work started, just thirty-four days after the vote of the 
association. The first person visited and given pledge 1, was 
the president of the association, and he responded with the de- 
sired amount. Too much emphasis cannot be laid on this method 
of asking for a definite amount. Most of the men were im- 
pressed with the idea that the whole scheme had been carefully 
thought out, and that the amount asked for, v/as absolutely 
needed, and was not in most cases deemed unreasonable. Also 
the fact that a definite amount was being asked of each class, and 
the knowledge of what classmates were doing was an incentive 
to giving, for a good many did not feel like giving less than the 
average. The individual pledges in general, outside the class, 
were not given out to those solicited, but nearly every one said, 
"You are at liberty to tell my classmates what I have pledged, 
provided it will help." And it certainly was a great help, for 
many said, "If he gave that amount, I ought to do the same, or 
double," as the case might be. 

The secretary set $5,000 a week as the standard to be se- 
cured and not once did he fall below the mark set and his ten 
weeks* work showed pledges for $55,000. Where several alumni 
were located at one place, plans were made to get them together 
for a meeting with the secretary. At one place there were thir- 
teen alumni located. Twelve were present at the meeting and 
made pledges and the thirteenth had a good excuse for not being 
present and he made his pledge the next morning. A post card 
was sent out each month to all the alumni, telling how many had 
been seen, how many had pledged contributions and how each 
class stood in relation to the amount expected of it. Provision 
was made to relieve the secretary of his teaching duties and he 
was instructed to go on with his soliciting. The work was neces- 
sarily slower now, for the larger centers had been already worked, 
but wherever there was a Worcester alumnus the secretary went 
after him. One man he found in a dentist's chair, and after the 
dentist had extracted a tooth he proceeded to extract a pledge. 
On commencement day 1912, one year after the challenge issued 



100 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

by the class of 1886, the secretary reported $112,470. The secre- 
tary, who was traveling all the time, co-operated with the acting 
president in raising the second $100,000 which he had agreed to 
raise. $53,035 were pledged on the second $100,000, making a 
total of $165,505. The expense, outside the salary of the secre- 
tary, which was paid by the Institute, was $3,500 for traveling 
expenses. The task x>f raising the $34,495 remaining was then 
turned over to the secretary. This work was done largely by 
letters to those far away and by personal visits to men who could 
be reached by the secretary in a day's trip, and on commencement 
day, 1913, the secretary reported pledges for $200,041.00. Eighty- 
eight per cent of the alumni contributed an average gift of 
$136.34. Figured on another basis, each man contributed an aver- 
age of $6.84 for each year he had been out of college. The pay- 
ments too, came in remarkably well and the amount not collected 
was made up by additional contributions secured for this purpose. 
The whole secret of the success of the plan was the man in 
charge. He says the secret of his success was — Plan your Avork, 
then — Work your plan. 

The Yale Alumni University Fund Association. 

This association of graduates of Yale University devotes its 
efforts to gathering annual contributions from the entire gradu- 
ate body of the University. The directors of the association ap- 
point agents in each of the classes of the several schools of the 
University and the collections are made by class units through 
these agents or representatives. The association was established 
in 1890. During the first year of its existence, — 1890-91, — there 
were 385 members or subscribers and total subscriptions were 
received amounting to $11,015.08. Twenty-five 3^ears later the 
members or subscribers for the year 1915-16 were 4,481 and the 
gross receipts of the year $148,280.53. 

The Alumni Fund Association, as developed at Yale, gives 
opportunity for the great body of graduates to give in accord- 
ance with their means gifts which come to the University amount- 
ing to a large total. The fund thus represents a living endow- 
ment, the income being received from the earnings of the gradu- 
ates year by year, rather than from invested capital. Individual 
gifts to the fund have varied in amount from 50c to $125,000.00. 



Alumni Activities 101 

The Directors of the Alumni Fund Association devote a 
part of the receipts of each year to permanent endowment or 
capital account, and part of the receipts are appropriated for the 
current expenses of the University for the year. The appropria- 
tions have always been made by the directors to general current 
expenses, not to specified or restricted fields. The only sugges- 
tion that has ever been made by the directors concerning the use 
of the income of the fund was in the form of a recommendation, 
some years ago, that a large proportion of the income be devoted 
to increase in professors' salaries. The receipts from the fund 
have made possible a new and higher scale of professors' salaries 
at Yale during the past six years. 

The receipts of the fund from its inauguration in 1890 to 
the end of the year 1915-16 reached the grand total of $1,600,- 
222.63, of which $870,213.57 remains as principal fund, and 
$702,137.89 has been given the University for annual income, the 
total expenses of management being only $27,871.17. 

Invoking the Initiative for Appropriations. 

The alumni association of the University of California origi- 
nated a new idea and carried it through to a successful comple- 
tion. In that state the law provides for the initiative. The Uni- 
versity had found it difficult to secure sufficient appropriations 
to provide much-needed new buildings. The alumni, with the 
cordial co-operation of the board of regents, decided to ask for 
the issue of $1,800,000 in bonds for new buildings for \;he Uni- 
versity. Forty thousand signatures were needed to secure the 
placing of the question upon the state ballot. Fifty thousand 
signatures, verified, were secured. Then began the campaign to 
secure the adoption of the proposal to issue the bonds. Com- 
mittees were created upon newspaper publicity, public meetings, 
finance, etc. Wherever a political meeting was held in the state 
some alumnus or other friend of the University was present to 
speak in favor of the proposition. The loyal support of the 
alumni and the reputation of the University brought the cam- 
paign to a successful conclusion. The details of the campaign 
are interesting and will be helpful to any alumni body which may 
have a similar problem to meet. 



102 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

The alumni were first organized by counties, with a central 
committee in charge; then by cities, towns and districts within 
each county. These groups of alumni met and were addressed 
by some member of the" campaign committee sent from head- 
quarters, and each member of the alumni was pledged to do in- 
dividual work wherever possible. 

There were held at various places public meetings for the 
discussion of the amendments which were before the people. 
Sometimes the alumni were invited to speak and sometimes they 
thrust themselves upon the attention of the audience without in- 
vitation. They spoke before large meetings in big cities and 
covered the state at the smaller meetings, women's clubs and in 
the various schools. It was necessary on each occasion to send 
somebody who was a good speaker and who knew the subject, 
but such persons were readily found either among local alumni 
or, if not, they were sent from the nearest available point. This 
traveling was always done at the expense of the person making 
the trip. 

The newspaper work was carried on by the assistance of 
two alumni who were newspaper men. For each class of news- 
papers a different type of article was written. All the articles 
were written before the newspaper campaign began. First a 
letter was written to the editor of the paper, signed personally 
by the chairman of the committee, asking for the support of his 
paper ; then some local alumni were asked to call upon the editor 
personally and to request his support. The editors of the daily 
papers were told that they would get five articles written by news- 
paper men all having news value and all being in a regular se- 
quence. Three of these were published weekly, beginning with 
the fourth week before the election : the last ones v/ere published 
during the week of the election and the day before. For the 
weekly newspapers a type that would interest rural communities 
was prepared. These were four in number published weekly be- 
ginning a month before the election. Still a third class of articles 
was prepared for such papers as the Argonaut, Pacific Rural 
Press, etc. It was also found necessary to prepare special arti- 
cles for certain daily papers which would not publish any copy 
that was published in another paper. All these articles, when 
prepared, were set up in the usual newspaper style printed on 



Alumni Activities 103 

cheap paper with a standard column width so that the editor 
could easily see the length of the article. 

The final vote in November was an overwhelming victory by 
more than a two-thirds vote. 

Raising a Million at Michigan. 

The organization of the alumni of the University of Michi- 
gan for the purpose of raising funds for the Michigan Union 
building has a number of unique features. It seemed impracti- 
cable to send solicitors to see the alumni individually ; the alumni 
body is altogether too large. It therefore proved necessary to 
rely entirely upon subsidiary alumni organizations. For several 
years a campaign of education as to the need for a new Union 
building was carried on through the columns of The Alumnus, 
which published two special editions which were sent to every 
alumnus, through speakers at alumni gatherings, and through 
the daily papers. Before a cent of money was asked for, the 
alumni were asking, "When are you going to ask us for our con- 
tribution to the Union?" The campaign opened in 1915 with 
one million dollars as the amount sought. A Campaign Com- 
mittee of alumni was organized which took over the details of 
further publicity and organization of the alumni. The country 
was divided and subdivided into districts and local committees,. 
each of whom was kept in touch by letters and telegrams with the 
central organization. Through an intensive campaign over half 
the required amount was raised in a very short time, and eight 
hundred thousand dollars was raised within the year, enough to 
erect the building. The supplementary campaign was under- 
taken in the spring of 1916 to raise the balance necessary for an 
endowment. A good portion of this sum was raised in the form 
of life memberships at fifty dollars, payable in five installments 
of ten dollars each. The remarkable thing about the campaign 
was that it was practically all small subscriptions, the largest — 
and only one — being one of t^i thousand dollars. 

An Alumni Loyalty Fund. 

An Alumni Loyalty Fund was started at Brown University 
in 1914. The first year brought contributions of ^bove $9,000 
from 441 alumni. $5,000 of this fund was turned over to the 



104 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

University. $2,000 was put in what is called a "capital fund" 
the purpose of which is to be invested and held in reserve so as 
to equalize the annual gifts to the University from the fund. The 
balance, after the payment of expenses, will be used as the alumni 
trustees of the fund may decide is for the best interest of the 
institution. The chief purpose in collecting this fund is to make 
it possible to raise the salaries of professors at Brown. A§ a 
result of the interest aroused by the collection of this fund, five 
friends of the University have promised gifts aggregating $9,000 
annually for the express purpose of advancing the salaries of 
the full professors at Brown. 

Raising Money at Rutgers. 

More than $70,000 have been raised by the alumni of Rut- 
gers College and added to the endowment. This fund has been 
built up from small contributions running over a period of many 
years. 

Plans of Peabody Alumni. 

Two hundred thousand dollars is the amount of the alumni 
endowment fund which the alumni of George Peabody College 
of Teachers have undertaken to raise. The plan adopted is to 
take pledges running over a series of years, payable annually, or, 
in installments at various times during the year. More than 
one-half the amount fixed has been pledged and a very substan- 
tial amount paid in on account. 

Wesleyan Alumni Contribute. 
Contributions amounting to more than $115,000 have been 
made by the alumni of Wesleyan. In the million dollar campaign 
more than half the alumni contributed. 

Women Raise Money. 
The alumnae of the women's college of Western Reserve 
University, 650 strong, raised $80,000 for a memorial building 
for the use of the students of that college. The successful com- 
pletion of this task, when all things are considered, was a most 
noteworthy achievement. 

An Alumni Scholarship. 
An Alumni Scholarship amounting to $400 a year, is pro- 
vided at Oberlin by the net proceeds from the alumni magazine. 



Alumni Activities 105 

At Minnesota the Alumni Weekly employs a student to solicit 
advertising. The average amount made in this way by students 
has been $572 a year for the past eight years. 

Texas Alumni Contribute. 

The alumni of the University of Texas contributed the 
major portion of $100,000 for the erection of a young men's 
Christian association building at that institution. 

Oberlin Alumni Raise $500,000. 

The college alumni of Oberlin, a number of years ago, raised 
$500,000. The men at the head of the alumni movement in that 
institution directed their efforts to securing the interest of the 
alumni, and have established what they call a "living endowment 
union," which forms an appreciable portion of that institution's 
budget. The form of pledge is 'T promise to give five per cent 

interest on $ a year." Those who contributed to this fund 

constitute a union and elect a board who have the handling of 
the fund. It is provided also that the contributors may specify 
a specific object to which their contribution shall be applied. 

The One Per Cent Club. 

The University of Michigan Club, of New York, has sub- 
mitted to the alumni association of that institution a proposi- 
tion for the organization of an honorary society to be known as 
the "one per centers." The motive of the organization is to 
afford equality of opportunity in serving the University. The 
proposition is to restrict the membership of the club to matricu- 
lates of the University, and all members are to provide in their 
wills that one per cent of their estate shall go, at their death, to 
the University of Michigan. The amount so devised sh^ll be 
limited to one per cent, if given through the club. It is provided 
also that the specific amount of any bequest shall never be made 
public, thus leaving the man with the small estate in just the same 
relative standing as the man whose contribution is one hundred 
times as much. It is also provided that the money shall not be 
used for buildings or equipment, but shall be devoted to research 
work, particularly to the salaries of professors. 



106 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

A Yale Publication. 

"Life at Yale" is the title of a pamphlet issued by the alumni 
advisory board of Yale University. The publication is extremely 
interesting and valuable. It gives in a very informal pictoral style 
information that is seldom found in the University catalogues. 
It averages at least one picture to every page, and sets forth in 
a very effective way the life in the undergraduate department at 
Yale. The book also devotes some space to student expenses, 
self-help, under-graduate activities, enough information so that 
men will know just what they have to do to enter Yale, and the 
kind of things that men do after they enter. The expense of 
issuing this publication was borne partly by the University and 
partly by the advisory board. Copies of this pamphlet are sent 
to all the important schools from which Yale receives students 
and to the high schools of every city in the country of more than 
25,000 inhabitants. It is also placed in prominent public libraries, 
in libraries of Young Men's Christian Associations, and in the 
hands of individual young men who are known to be interested 
and who are thinking of attending Yale. The first edition of 
7,000 copies was exhausted within a year. 

A, Pennsylvania Publication. 

"Pennsylvania — a glimpse of the University" is a book of 
104 pages (with 75 illustrations) issued by the General Alumni 
Society of the University of Pennsylvania. The book tells the 
story of the University — its history, equipment, advantages, and 
some account of its requirements. The table of contents indi- 
cates its scope — The spirit of Pennsylvania, by Provost Edgar 
F. Smith ; the University history ; Pennsylvania's contribution to 
the nation — science, law, literature, religion, and education; 
Equipment; Environment; Life in the classroom; Student life 
and organizations ; Religion ; Paying one's way ; Athletics ; The 
alumni; Corporation and faculties; Entrance requirements; Cal- 
endar; Scholarships; The University's finances; Student Sta- 
tistics ; Alumni ofiicers. 

Helping to Get Students. 

Wesleyan University alumni have issued a pamphlet, "A 
Trip to Wesleyan," which presents the attractions of that institu- 



Alumni Activities 107 

tion for the prospective student. This has proved very effective 
in bringing to that institution an increased enrollment of desirable 
students. 

Help in the Housing Problem. 
An example of what alumni initiative can do is shown in a 
movement for better housing conditions among students at the 
University of Michigan. The first step was the appointment by 
the Alumni Advisory Council of a committee to make a series 
of recommendations regarding living conditions among the stu- 
dents. These included the adoption of a standard contract by 
the students and landladies, the establishment of an approved 
list of rooming and boarding houses, and an efficient inspection 
of them by two inspectors appointed by the University. These 
recommendations were approved by the University faculty and 
will probably be in force in the fall of 1917. 

A University Dictionary. 
This publication was issued first at Minnesota. It was issued 
as a special number of the alumni publication and was financed 
by advertising. The book contains a concise and accurate state- 
ment, in alphabetical order and dictionary form, concerning the 
chief items of importance in the institution's history. The mate- 
rial was gathered by careful review of all official institutional 
publications, the student publications, and much was added by 
the author who had been connected with the institution during 
the greater part of its existence. Every man officially connected 
with the faculty was given a biographical paragraph when the 
information was available, and in case of present members of 
the faculty, small half tone cuts were given; similar cuts were 
given of prominent members of the faculty and governing bodies 
of the earlier years as well. The book contains pictures of all 
of the buildings of the institution and scenes about the campus. 
It also contains official records of teams, athletic and forensic 
for the whole period of institutional life. Student organizations 
are also given space and many organizations which have long 
passed out of existence are recorded. 

Novel Publicity Idea. 
A novel publicity idea has been used by the alumni of Iowa 
State College. A panoramic view of the college campus, 16 feet 



108 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

by 4 feet, has been prepared by the college publicity committee. 
Through the co-operation of the alumni and other friends of the 
college, these pictures are displayed in the various cities and 
towns of the state. Prominent merchants have gladly used them 
in their display windows. The pictures remain in one place for 
a week and then are passed on to another place. They have al- 
ways attracted much favorable attention and comment. 

Pictures for High Schools. 

University pictures, framed and ready to be hung up in 
school rooms and clubs have been provided by a number of 
alumni associations. A definite effort has been made by these 
associations to have these pictures put in all the high schools of 
the state where the institution is located and in other large high 
schools from which students may be expected. 

The Employment Bureau. 

Many alumni associations find this one of their valuable 
activities, and as it is a work in which the local alumni associa- 
tions can help very decidedly, it has great possibilities of develop- 
ment. Where the institution maintains such a bureau, the alumni 
association can assist materially. The alumni publication can 
be utilized profitably in assisting in such work. Some associa- 
tions extend the activities of their bureaus to assist students in 
finding work to help themselves through college. An alumnus is 
usually glad to help a fellow altimnus to find work for which he 
is fitted and if the alumni who have positions open would let the 
fact be known to the officers of their association, it would 
usually result in bringing the man and the job together. 

Advertising the Advantages of Higher Education. 

A graduate of the University of Texas, James Stephen 
Hogg, went before the alumni association of that institution and 
offered to raise $150,000 for the purpose of advertising the value 
of higher education to Texas. The association gave its approval 
and in forty-five days the money was raised and is being spent at 
the rate of $30,000 a year for the purpose of proving to the 
people of Texas the value of state-supported higher education. 



Alumni Activities 109 

A M. A. C. Publication. 

A "souvenir program" issued by the Michigan Agricultural 
College alumni association is an attractive booklet of eight pages, 
with embossed cover and one folded insert. The booklet con- 
tains the words and music of two college songs, pictures of many 
of the leading professors, together with information about the 
college and the alumni association. The insert is a panoramic 
view of the campus and buildings. 

Bureau of Information. 

The alumni association should be a bureau of information 
about the institution to which anyone may appeal with the assur- 
ance that he will get the desired information, or be put in the way 
of getting it with the least possible delay or inconvenience. 

Study University Needs. 

The alumni of Wisconsin, several years ago, undertook a 
systematic campaign to secure information regarding the reason- 
ableness of requests made by the regents for appropriations for 
the legislature. Everyone of the chief items of the budget put 
forward by the regents was assigned to a specific committee to 
investigate and report. For example, the association secured the 
opinion of a Chicago physician of international reputation in re- 
gard to the requests made by the regents for appropriations for 
the support of the medical department. The reports of these 
various committees, acting absolutely independently of the Uni- 
versity authorities, was published in the Wisconsin Alumnus, and 
carried real weight as an independent and impartial expression of 
intelligent opinion. 

A State-wide Movement. 

The University club of Atlanta, Georgia, under the leader- 
ship of Thomas Connolly, has fathered a movement having as its 
end the better support, by the state of Georgia, of all educational 
forces in the state. The club has definitely tried to foster and 
further publicity to bring about this desired result. The club is 
strong and unusually representative and offers the most hopeful 
solution to a problem which is most important in that state. 



110 Hand Book of Alunpni Work 

Ask for Suggestions. 

The alumni of North Dakota are being systematically en- 
couraged to write to the 'University administration and express 
themselves freely upon all matters of live university interest. 
The idea is, of course, to bring to the administration helpful ideas 
as well as information concerning conditions in various parts of 
the state. 

Pay for Publicity. 

A publicity committee, with a salaried secretary, is main- 
tained by the alumni association of the University of Kansas. 
This committee has headquarters at Topeka, the capital of the 
state. The purpose of this committee is to organize the alumni 
of the state for the purpose of securing the passage of a mill-tax 
bill and better support generally for the University and other 
state educational institutions. 

Board of Alumni Visitors. 

A board of alumni visitors, with expenses paid by the alumni 
association, spend five days each year at the University of Kan- 
sas. The purpose of this board of visitors is to investigate the 
needs of the institution and to make a report of its findings to 
the alumni and the people of the state of Kansas. 

The Housing Problem at Cornell. 

The student housing problem has been taken up by the Cor- 
nell (alumni) Council and plans have been made and their execu- 
tion initiated for providing suitable quarters for every Cornell 
student. The full plan is outlined in the paper prepared by 
Henry A. Hitchcock, secretary of Cornell University, which ap- 
pears in the fifth annual report of the Association of Alumni 
Secretaries. 

Alumni Influence Upon Student Life. 

In the fifth report of the meetings of the Association of 
Alumni Secretaries, W. F. Sheldon, of Wesleyan University, dis- 
cusses this subject in a very comprehensive and illuminating man- 
ner. The whole paper is well worth studying by any one inter- 
ested in this particular phase of alumni activity. 



Alumni Activities 111 

Keep in Touch With Student Affairs. 

At many institutions the association officially attempts to 
keep in touch with student affairs and to make alumni goodwill 
and wider knowledge count in student affairs. In many more the 
secretary, individually, finds it worth his while to keep in close 
touch with student life and activities. Such contact is of the 
greatest importance; it helps the students and it brings direct 
returns to the alumni association in the way of more loyal alumni. 
At Columbia, Wesleyan and Union the secretaries are in very 
close touch with the student bodies and use such contact to 
arouse in the minds of the students a feeling of pride in the in- 
stitution and a desire to become identified with the alumni asso- 
ciation after graduation. 

Student Advice. 

One alumni association makes a specialty of offering its 
secretary to give advice to students. The man who held this 
office for a time happened to be well fitted for the work and his 
services were not only in demand, they were helpful and appre- 
ciated. 

Business Conferences. 

Business conferences with successful alumni is one of the 
distinctive features of alumni work at Miami. Some twenty-five 
men have pledged themselves to return, at their own convenience, 
sometime within five years, to address the student body in chapel 
and afterward to meet students who are specially interested in 
their particular line of business. Ohio Wesleyan University is 
working along similar lines. 

Alumni and Athletics. 

This subject was discussed by R. H. McLaughlin, of Brown 
University, at the fifth meeting of the Association of Alumni 
Secretaries. His address appears in full in the proceedings of 
that meeting. In his talk Mr. McLaughlin pointed out the dan- 
gers of over-enthusiasm on the part of the alumni; such en- 
thusiasm may lead to meddlesome interference with college regu- 
lations and purposes; he told how Brown University has, in a 
degree, solved the problem and brought about a better under- 



112 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

standing between the alumni and the college, through the creation 
of a local alumni committee through which the alumni can 
make their ideas known. 

Athletics and Attendance. 

It was the general opinion of the secretaries present at the 
fifth conference that athletics had little or no influence upon 
college attendance. Mr. Scott, of Illinois, reported that more 
alumni had urged him to subordinate the attention given to ath- 
letics in their publication, than had expressed a desire that more 
prominence be given to that subject. This agreed with the expe- 
rience of other secretaries. Yale's experience, at the time that 
the "Bowl" was constructed, was that twice as many alumni 
showed an interest in providing facilities for intra-mural sports 
as in the big bowl proposition. 

Studies University Problems. 

A committee on intra-mural welfare is maintained by the 
alumni association of the University of Rochester. This com- 
mittee keeps in touch with the University and feels free, at any 
time, to offer suggestions to the administration upon any matter 
of interest. Their suggestions are always courteously received, 
and, if practicable, adopted. If not practicable, the administra- 
tion explains the difficulties in the way of their adoption, and a 
most cordial feeling of co-operation has grown up between the 
institution and its alumni. 

Doubling the Size of the Campus. 

In 1906 the alumni of Minnesota tried to get the board of 
regents to make requests of the legislature for an appropriation 
for additional land for the campus, which was then about fifty 
acres in extent. The regents refused to make such a request 
and the alumni secured the introduction of a bill into the legisla- 
ture of 1907, for $1,200,000 for the purchase of more land. De- 
spite the indifference of some members of the board of regents 
and the active opposition of other members, and without even 
the slightest support from any membef of the board, the legisla- 
ture granted $450,000 for the purpose, and two years later, added 
another $350,000, making a total of $800,000. With this money 
sufficient land was purchased to double the size of the campus. 



Alumni Activities 113 

This end was accomplished by the akimni out in the state, 
who used their influence with their representatives in the legisla- 
ture. 

The alumni association was, of course, accused of "getting 
into politics." The reply was, that the alumni had simply exer- 
cised their rights as citizens, to organize to secure legislation in 
which they were interested, which they felt to be for the highest 
good of the state. That if this action constituted "getting into 
politics" th^y were proud of being "in politics" and intended to 
remain in politics so long as the University had need of their 
assistance. 

Increasing Faculty Salaries. 

In 1906 the Minnesota alumni urged the board of regents to 
ask for $140,000 additional for the purpose of increasing the 
salaries of the instructional staff of the University of Minne- 
sota. The regents had voted to ask for $40,000 additional, and 
after much urging by the alumni voted to ask for $90,000 in- 
crease. The alumni were not content with this concession and 
secured the introduction of a bill appropriating $140,000 addi- 
tional for the express purpose of raising salaries. This bill had 
the active opposition of a portion of the board of regents. The 
alumni conducted a campaign of publicity, pointing out the 
justice of the act and the necessity for such relief if the Uni- 
versity was to rank with respectable institutions. Much work 
was done through alumni publication, through state papers and 
by the alumni out in the state with their own members of the 
legislature. In spite of the most vigorous opposition the legisla- 
ture voted $105,000, more than had ever before been appropriated 
for the express purpose of raising salaries. This victory, in 
view of the attitude of the members of the board of regents in 
refusing to make the request, and the further fact that some 
members of the board actively opposed the request in the legisla- 
ture, is a most remarkable tribute to what an active alumni body 
can do when it is once aroused to the necessity to act. 

Getting Rid of an Undesirable Combination of 
Governing Boards. 

The University of Minnesota has always been governed by 
a board of regents appointed by the governor of the state and 



114 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

including three ex-officio members. In 1901 the legislature 
passed an act creating a board of control to have general super- 
vision over all state institutions. It was not the intention to 
have the act apply to educational institutions and the title did not 
provide for such inclusion. The act was amended by its enemies 
and made to include the university and the normal schools, with 
the hope that this would cause its defeat. The bill passed, largely 
because no one thought that it would apply to the University and 
normal schools, since they were not included in its title. The 
board of control never attempted to exercise its authority under 
this act until after the legislature of 1903 adjourned without 
amending the act by releasing the university and the normal 
schools. In the meantime, by a technical ruling the courts held 
that the university and normal schools were included in the title 
of the act, being included under the term "charitable" institutions. 
When the legislature of 1903 adjourned without amending the 
act, the board of regents voluntarily placed itself and the uni- 
versity under the terms of the act of 1901 and tried to live up 
to the terms of that act. With the best of intention it was not 
possible to avoid friction. The regents having control of the 
educational policies of the institution and the board of control of 
its finances. Conditions went from bad to worse, until the very 
usefulness of the institution was threatened. AVhen the legisla- 
ture of 1905 met, the alumni had organized for the purpose of 
securing the release of the university from the board of control 
supervision. The matter came to a vote and the legislature re- 
fused to grant the desired relief. The alumni redoubled their 
efforts and when the matter came up again, the action granting 
the desired release was almost unanimous, and the result was 
directly due to the activity of the alumni of the university. 



XII. ALUMNI MEETINGS. 

There are several compelling reasons which bring the alumni 
of any college together occasionally. Among these forces may 
be mentioned love of the institution and a desire to know what is 
going on there, and a natural interest in fellow alumni ; the social 
instinct that brings men and women, united by any common 
bond, together for friendly intercourse; and the desire to have 
a good time. ♦A consideration of the elements of the force which 
brings the alumni of any institution together, suggests the form 
of meeting that will satisfy those who attend such meeting. The 
meeting should bring to those present some close and intimate 
touch with the institution itself. This may be secured in many 
ways, such as having a speaker from the college to tell of recent 
developments and of the men and women w^ho make up its 
faculty; when this is impossible, a letter or letters from officers 
or faculty members; stereopticon pictures of buildings, campus, 
faculty members and student gatherings; "movies" from the 
college home are always received with enthusiasm; an alumnus 
who has recently visited the old college can often bring to his 
fellow alumni a message to arouse enthusiasm and reawaken 
interest in Alma Mater. When the meeting is held at the college, 
a short review of the past year's doings and a confidential talk 
of plans being developed for the future, by the president, ap- 
peals to every alumnus. Since one of the reasons for coming 
together is to meet and greet old friends, opportunity should 
be made for such meetings, and classes should be encouraged 
to get together and keep together at such meetings. College 
songs always arouse enthusiasm and when the words are thrown 
on a screen by stereopticon, everybody will join in. Parodies on 
well known songs with applications which the alumni will ap- 
preciate are always taking and when the words are thrown on 
the screen the alumni will join in the singing with great gusto. 
Experience has demonstrated the desirability of getting together 
a group of alumni, before the meeting, to plan a program of 
songs and stunts to be worked in whenever there is a lull in the 

115 



116 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

program — ^between courses or in the midst of a course if con- 
ditions seem propitious. Men and women everywhere love good 
clean fun and a meeting without a good share of "just fun" can 
hardly be considered wholly successful. It is always well to re- 
member that six five-minute talks are never half as tiresome as 
the average thirty-minute talk. Of course, there are exceptions 
and there are times when everything should give way to the 
man or woman with a message — but such are unusual occasions. 
The man or woman who goes home from an alumni meeting 
after having met some old friend, learned something new about 
the old college, sung the college song with abandon and enjoyed 
a good hearty laugh, is bound to remember the occasion as a 
successful one and to resolve never to miss another meeting. 

In the following paragraphs will be found set forth ideas 
which have proved worth while in actual experience. 

University Alumni Day. 

University Alumni Day is growing in favor all over the 
country. The idea was first worked out in a big way at Columbia 
in 1908. The day chosen at Columbia is Lincoln's birthday. 
This day is a state holiday but not a Columbia holiday, so that 
the alumni can come back and see the whole institution or any 
of its parts in action. A program is provided of things of special 
interest to the alumni, but the idea of being able to go back and 
"see the wheels go around" appeals to the alumni, and adds 
greatly to the zest of the program of alumni events. 

A typical program of the early days included a forenoon 
spent in sight-seeing, laboratories, collections, classroom work, 
and the "Van Am" collection, illustrating Dean Van Amringe's 
fifty years' connection with Columbia. The afternoon started in 
with an organ recital followed by a most interesting lecture upon 
"Navigating the air" illustrated by "movies"; an opportunity 
was then given to visit other departments of the University and 
to see the athletic teams at practice; a tea, provided by ladies of 
the University, was well attended. At six o'clock the alumni 
came together again for a beefsteak dinner. "Van Am" was the 
lion of the occasion. Songs were sung, short speeches made, and 
a basketball game with Pennsylvania followed. All this occurred 
on Saturday, and Sunday afternoon, the next day, a special 



Alumni Meetings 117 

"Alumni service" was held in the chapel and the sermon was 
delivered by a former football star. 

Among the permanent features of mid-year University 
Alumni Day, at Columbia, are — 

Special chapel exercises for the alumni, which always opens 
the day's proceedings ; 

An exhibition of interesting books, papers, manuscripts, or 
other collections; 

Usually a musical program — an organ recital ; 

A beefsteak dinner at six o'clock; 

A program of "stunts" by classes for which prizes are of- 
fered. This always results in a lively competition ; 

Usually a basketball game between Columbia and some other 
institution ; 

Frequently, athletic exhibitions by students; 

When matters of special interest to the alumni are up 
for discussion, the alumni conference is one of the big features 
of the day's doings. 

Among the features that have been used in connection with 
the celebration of this day, at Columbia, during the past nine 
years, are the following: — 

The class of 1908 made a great hit by staging a basketball 
game between two women teams representing Barnard college. 
The players were dressed in styles several years ahead of the 
times and gave a vigorous exhibition of the possibilities of the 
game. 

An extra feature was introduced at one time, affording an 
under-graduate an opportunity to show some remarkable stunts 
in pole climbing. 

A fake prize fight helped to enliven one gathering. The 
referee gravely announced that the fight was amply protected by 
a marriage license, a dog license and a regular boxing license 
taken out for the occasion. A "policeman" tried to break up the 
fight but was finally persuaded to stay and witness the event. 
This proved the most effective event of that year's program. 

The evolution of a college man, from the chrysalis — fresh- 
man — stage to the decrepit old alumnus was shown on one occa- 
sion. 



118 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

The class of 1896 reproduced an exciting event of their 
sophomore year. This included a raid by the police force which 
consisted of collecting "Kale" from the revellers and handing 
some of it to the man higher up — a man sitting on a step-ladder. 

The reproduction of a court scene in Dahomey, afforded 
the class of 1905 an opportunity to shine as savages. The danc- 
ing girls brought in to dance before the king, who failed to please 
him, were promptly executed. A salome dance given by one of 
the men, impersonating a young woman kept the audience con- 
vulsed with laughter. The face was blackened, the arms and 
shoulders being white. In a final frenzy the dancer dashed his 
head upon the ground — and its true character was revealed — a 
pumpkin. 

Castro's efforts to gain admittance to the United States 
were caricatured in another stunt. 

A cabaret scene, ending in a duel, was a prize winner one 
year. 

An exhibition of publications by students, faculty and 
alumni, proved an interesting feature of the celebration of 1914, 
at Columbia. 

A military band afforded the class of 1905 to score again 
in 1914. The evolutions through which this band went kept the 
crowd interested and amused. 

A street scene in New York gave the class of 1910 a chance 
to win first place in 1914. The group included hurdy-gurdies, 
monkeys, cops, negroes and two beautiful young v/omen, who 
danced the tango, but came to grief — they were pricked by nee- 
dles and carried away to a dismal fate. 

A fake Mexican battle proved interesting. Mr. Bryan, who 
took part, was overcome by grape juice; Mrs. Pankhurst, who 
had to be forcibly fed and **T. R." who came in and ''cleaned 
up" a whole army corps single handed, all contributed their 
share of fun. 

A medical class put on an operation for a stunt. After a 
gory exhibition with butcher knives and saws, an appendix 
was finally removed which, when unrolled, proved to be a ban- 
ner with ''Volts for women" inscribed thereon. The sick 
man's recovery was remarkably speedy. 

The big features of Columbia's program for 1915 cen- 



Alumni Meetings 119 

tered about the war lectures, presented by men of national 
reputation upon specific features of the great war going on in 
Europe. 

Alumni University Day at Yale. 

Alumni University Day was started at Yale in 1914. The 
day was inaugurated and has been carried out with the single 
purpose of giving graduates an opportunity to return and 
study the University as a teaching organization, to see it in its 
working clothes, to study its educational problems. 

The day has been held upon Washington's birthday, 
which is quite generally a holiday in the business world, but 
which is a day of regular classroom work at Yale. 

The programs have provided for the attendance of grad- 
uates at classes during the early morning hours, for a general 
meeting with addresses on some of the educational features 
of the University in the middle of the morning, a luncheon 
with the faculty at the University dining hall at noon, an 
afternoon meeting at which undergraduate interests with talks 
by undergraduates were a feature, an opportunity during the 
late afternoon for further visits to classes or to various insti- 
tutions connected with the University, and in the evening, 
during recent years, the opportunity for visiting graduates to 
attend and take part in the annual meeting and dinner of the 
New Haven Yale Alumni association. 

Each year some particular feature of the University's 
work has been emphasized. One year the emphasis was 
placed upon the collections of the University in art, in the 
library, in natural history, etc. Another year the emphasis 
was upon the graduate school with an outline of the history 
and present condition of graduate work at Yale at the gen- 
eral meeting, and opportunity for the men to go to any one of 
a dozen points for detailed study of graduate instruction in a 
given subject was given. Another year the chief study was of 
the professional schools, with an outline of professional study 
at the general meeting and an opportunity for detailed investi- 
gation of the work of the schools of medicine, religion, law and 
forestry. 



120 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

Approximately two hundred graduates have returned for 
alumni university day each year. These men have come for 
the most part from New England and New York, but a smaller 
number each year from greater distances, — from Chicago, 
Kansas City, Denver, and other western and southern points. 
The men have come with a serious interest and have expressed 
themselves as delighted with the opportunity of thus becoming 
acquainted with the real work of the University. Although 
graduates return in great numbers to practically all of the 
large universities, their return is generally at a time of athletic 
contests, social gatherings or class reunions at commencement, 
when the university is either not in regular session or when 
the attention of the visiting graduates is entirely distracted 
by athletic or society functions. In spite of the large number 
of visiting graduates each year, it is surprising to see how few 
of the men have ever returned to classroom exercises or have 
made an intelligent study of the teaching work of the uni- 
versity. It was specifically to give opportunity for this 
acquaintance with the educational side that Alumni University 
Day was started and has been maintained at Yale. 

Dix Plan of Reunions. 

For some time at the University of Michigan the classes 
holding reunions have been meeting in accordance with the 
Dix Reunion Plan. This schedule provides that four classes 
which were in college together, hold their reunions at the 
same time. Each time a different group meets, so that during 
a cycle of four reunions any given class will have met with the 
four groups of classes which correspond to the four college 
years. Ordinarily these groups meet every five years, but 
one class of each group meets after a four year interval only, 
thus providing the necessary change in the schedule. In a 
university where the classes are large and class distinctions 
are not marked, as far as college work goes, this plan works 
well. It has been generally adopted by all the Michigan 
classes, though some of the older alumni still prefer the old 
five-year reunions. The five, twenty-five, and fifty-year re- 
unions are almost invariably held according to the old sched- 
ule. The change was made from the old to the new schedule 



Alumni Meetings 121 

within a few years, by leaving it optional with every class 
whether they should meet according to the old or the new 
plan. 

The classes are urged to hold their reunions separately 
as joint reunions have not proved very successful. The merit 
of the plan lies rather in the presence of so many alumni from 
contemporary classes with the resultant renewal of old friend- 
ships and informal reunions of groups within the classes — 
clubs, fraternities, and old student organizations. 

Financing Special Meetings or Events. 

The experience of many has shown that it is desirable, in 
alumni work, that each special meeting should provide its own 
expenses, and not be a charge upon the alumni association. 
It has been found that a satisfactory way to finance such 
events is to estimate the entire cost of the meeting, including 
notices and all other fair charges and then make a charge for 
the chief event of the occasion sufficient to cover the entire 
estimated cost and leave a balance. This balance is impor- 
tant, for almost invariably there are charges which cannot be 
foreseen which must be met and the allowance for such 
charges should be liberal. 

Alumni Day Before Finals. 

It has been suggested that alumni day might profitably 
be set for Friday or Saturday preceding baccalaureate Sunday. 
It is argued that it is easier for the alumni to attend a celebra- 
tion coming at the end of the week than one coming in the 
middle of the week. It has also been suggested that by put- 
ting the date forward so as to have it occur before the final 
examinations, the alumni w^ould enjoy the privilege, which 
few do under present conditions, of seeing the institution actu- 
ally at work. 

Specializing on Alumni Day. 

It has been suggested, and several institutions are plan- 
ning to carry out the idea, of having each alumni day specialize 
on some one thing, e. g., make an attempt to get the glee club 
men back one year, the debaters another, the track men an- 



122 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

other, and then arrange the program of the day with special 
reference to this fact. When the glee club men come back it 
would be most natural to have a concert and when the track 
men come back athletic events would be emphasized. The 
idea of getting the glee club men back has been tried success- 
fully at a number of institutions. 

Texas Independence Day. 

The alumni of the University of Texas find that "Inde- 
pendence Day," which the people of Texas celebrate in mem- 
ory of their securing independence from Mexico, affords a 
suitable occasion for local and other alumni meetings. The 
day gives tone to the form of celebration and unites state and 
institutional loyalty in a way to make both more real and 
stronger. Naturally patriotic addresses are the leading fea- 
ture of such celebrations but they do not preclude the utiliza- 
tion of other features which especially appeal to the alumnus. 
It is to be noted that southern institutions are apt to make 
much more of orations and addresses on such occasion than 
are northern institutions. 

Alumni Reunion Attendance. 

Successful effort to secure attendance at alumni reunions 
must be based upon the theory that "If you give the alumni 
something to come back for they will come." 

Reunion Trophy Cup. 

Some associations have found it worth while to provide 
a trophy cup upon which are engraved, year by year, the 
names of the classes that send back the largest number to the 
annual reunion. Sometimes a second cup is provided upon 
which is engraved the name of the alumnus who makes the 
longest trip to be present at each reunion. 

A Class Publication. 
This plan has been employed very successfully at a num- 
ber of institutions, notably at Columbia. The class of 1914 
of that institution prints such a paper monthly. These publi- 
cations do not in any way compete with the association publi- 
cation but fill their own particular field. 



Alumni Meetings 123 

The class reunion publication has been used with notable 
effect by the class of 1905 of Iowa State College and the same 
class of Penn State College. Six numbers of the **Sicemaka 
Hustler" were issued by the Iowa class. "The 1905 Bugle" 
called the class at Penn State College together. 

Reunion Publication. 

A number of alumni associations have used the reunion 
publication to good effect, notably at Michigan and Virginia. 
Sometimes this is issued by the association, printed every 
week or every other week for three months before commence- 
ment and supported by advertising and subscriptions by the 
quinquennial classes. This publication is usually kept abso- 
lutely independent of the official alumni publication and is 
sometimxcs edited and financed solely by a committee of the 
reunion classes. The name selected is calculated to arouse 
enthusiasm for the occasion, such as **The Reunion Barker," 
"Wassail Bowl," "Pull-yer-tin," "The Comeback," "The Big 
Tent," "The Beadle," "L'entente," and one series run as a 
section in the regular alumni publication, used progressive 
titles, as follows: "Yeast," "Sponge," "Dough," "Loaf" and 
"Bread." This plan works well in arousing enthusiasm and 
interest that results in increased attendance upon reunion oc- 
casions. It is agreed that such publications have much more 
pulling power if edited by a class committee and devote much 
space to personal hits on members of the reunion classes. The 
Virginia "Big Tent" has been most fortunate in the possession 
of a cartoonist, who enters into the spirit of the occasion. 

A Live Bit of Publicity. 

Union College Alumni brought out a very effective folder 
to advertise alumni doings for 1915. The folder filled sixteen 
pages in the form of a railroad time table. The first page in 
big white letters on black background appears the inscription, 
"Every Railroad," then in smaller type — "leads to Union 119th 
Commencement." Catch phrases or poems add life to the 
whole. One page is devoted to a "condensed time table" that 
shows how every hour can be spent for the five days of com- 
mencement week — and the program is "some" program. One 



124 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

page contains a blank application to be used with employers 
to secure the release of alumni desiring to attend the exercises 
and one to a blank with the following wording: "Tack this 
on the door of your office, store, bank, study, class room, 
churc^h, farm, barber-shop, jitney bus, or whatever else you 
leave when you come to Schenectady." (Then in large let- 
ters.) *T have gone to Schenectady to renew my youth. Re- 
turn indefinite." With room for signature at bottom. The 
remainder of the folder is filled with live stuff that has "pull." 

The Big Tent. 

The University of Virginia centers its alumni celebration 
around the "big tent" which is placed on the campus and 
around which centers the events of the alumni reunion. This 
association issues a special reunion publication called the 
"Big Tent" for the purpose of arousing interest in the affairs 
of commencement week. The Virginia plan has worked well 
and has been unique from the fact that the association has had 
the services of an excellent cartoonist who has entered into 
the spirit of the occasion and has drawn cartoons that would 
draw the crowds. 

Ask Fraternity Aid. 

Fraternity aid to secure a large attendance on alumni 
day was invoked by the alumni of the University of Virginia. 
The plan proved very helpful in securing an unusually large 
attendance. Each fraternity sent out one or two letters to its 
former members urging them to attend the exercise ot,alumni 
day and to come back to the fraternity. 

Common Initiation Day. 

A common initiation day for all fraternities, at Miami, 
affords an opportunity to bring back a large number of alumni 
at one time. The day is set for early in the second semester. 

Advertising Stunts. 

Advertising alumni meetings by novel stunts at football 
games has been found practical and brings excellent results 
at some institutions. 



Alumni Meetings 125 

A Free Dinner. 

"The University as Host" idea has proved successful at 
Michigan. The University makes an appropriation each year 
to be used in getting the alumni to come back on alumni day 
and to help entertain them when they get back. The presi- 
dent of the University appoints an entertainment committee, 
representing all departments of the University. Refreshments 
are served and the assistance of students and towns-people 
is enlisted in helping to make the occasion more enjoyable. 
Autos are provided for sight-seeing trips. Class headquarters 
are assigned and the campus is placarded so as to make it 
easy to find any class or event. More than one thousand were 
served at a recent buffet dinner served by the local branch of the 
Collegiate Alumnae. 

A Box Picnic. 

A box-picnic, for alumni day, has proved popular at the 
University of Kansas. Provision is made for the alumni to 
purchase box lunches on the picnic grounds. The event has 
come to be one of the most popular features of alumni day. 

An Alumni Breakfast. 

Breakfast furnishes an attractive feature for many alumni 
day celebrations. Sometimes this breakfast is for the alumni 
generally, and again it is planned to meet by classes. In 
cases where classes are small they frequently meet with some 
member of the class living near the college. The informality 
of the hour gives the affair a tone that is most enjoyable. 

A Barbecue. 

"A Barbecue" is always an important part of the alumni 
day celebration at Virginia and is likewise utilized at other in- 
stitutions of the south. 

Combine on Costumes. 

In providing of costumes, stunts, etc., for alumni affairs, 
Delaware College has found it advisable to have a committee 
of five take the matter in charge, rather than to leave the 
arrangements to the secretaries of the reunion classes. The 



126 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

centralizing of responsibility has resulted in a decided increase 
of enthusiasm and effectiveness. 

A Costume Parade. 

A typical costume parade at Columbia, so the New York 
papers say, is like a lobster dream. In these parades are 
shown Pierrots, sailors, black hands, organ grinders, horse- 
men, gentlemen in dusters, in blue and white costumes. China- 
men, suffragettes, a mammoth rat, a lion ; (the suffragette 
feature afforded no end of amusement by signs which showed 
their masculine origin, such as "Volts for women") ; a troup of 
bagpipers in Scotch costume ; Yama Yama girls ; a volunteer 
fire company, sailor costumes ; "T. R." in roughrider costume ; 
cannibals with a missionary who stayed for dinner; Roman 
charioteers ; Dutch bloomers ; toreadors and a bull-fight ; • a 
boat race on land ; polo game ; a pirate ship ; an awkward 
squad; an I. W. W. riot with bombs — very realistic; a modifi- 
cation of the Zulu stunt, in which the beautiful young mis- 
sionary is rescued by U. S. soldiers. 

Parade at Penn State. 

In the parade at Penn State the class of 1905, celebrating 
its tenth anniversary, had a duplicate of '"flag-catcher" with 
which they captured the sophomore flag in their freshman 
year. The class also presented the class of 1906, with due cere- 
mony, a replica of the flag captured from that class ten years 
before. 

Circle Night. 

"Circle Night" is the big occasion for the alumni of the 
University of Rochester. In front of the administration build- 
ing is a large circular grass plot, in the center of which is a 
statue of former President Anderson. This plot is enclosed 
with canvas and the reunion is held within. Some student 
organization furnishes music, and sometimes a play. The 
Circle is illuminated with Japanese lanterns and electric lights. 
"Hot-dogs" are served from grills, sandwiches, cider, etc., help 
out the refreshments. When the business meeting is over 
the alumni march in lock-step behind the band ; red fire torches 



Alumni Meetings ' 127 

are much in evidence upon the march through the campus, 
which ends with the flag pole circle. From the flag pole floats 
the stars and stripes and the college banner, illuminated b}^ 
searchlights. 

As They Do It At Miami. 

Alumni day at Miami is the big alumni event of the year. 
The morning is given over to registration and the Phi Beta 
Kappa meeting. The classes gather in groups, shortly before 
noon, on the main walk through the campus. Classes that 
desire rooms for meetings are assigned rooms. At noon the 
alumni march to the steps of the library where a picture is 
taken and then to the commons where luncheon is served. A 
few short, snappy speeches, follow luncheon and then comes 
the ball game between the 'Varsity and some visiting college, 
and each reunion class is responsible for some stunt. The 
Phi Beta Kappa get together for a supper and the evening 
closes with a campus concert by the glee club — made up of 
alumni members of former clubs. The fraternity reunion 
banquets usually begin at nine o'clock that evening. 

A Senior Speaker. 

A senior student, chosen for his all-around ability and his 
public spirit, has been asked to talk to the alumni upon "stu- 
dent life and ideals of the present day," at the University 
of Minnesota. The plan has been twice tried and has proved 
to be a very enjoyable feature of the reunion program. 

Talks by Seniors. 

Some live topics, discussed by a member of the senior 
class, chosen by the class, and by other speakers chosen by a 
committee in charge, has made alumni day at Oberlin a live 
and interesting occasion. Among the topics discussed in re- 
cent years are — The place of vocational studies in the college 
curriculum; The bearing of a college course upon later life; 
Student interests outside the classroom; What is the ideal 
athletic program for a college; The social standards of the 
college. 

In discussing this latter topic four individuals took part. 



128 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

each one paying special attention to one of the following di- 
visions — 

(1) Can the social usages of good society be so formu- 
lated as to furnish a basis for college standards? 

(2) How may the facts and principles underlying fine 
social conduct be frankly and effectively presented to young 
people? 

(3) How may the best student sentiment be made oper- 
ative in the sphere of social conduct? 

(4) Can college legislation largely determine student 
social conduct? 

Ohio Wesleyan follows a similar plan. 

Centers in Athletics. 

An athletic revival was planned for the 1916 homecoming 
at Iowa State College. Each captain of an athletic team that 
represented the college at any time in its history, made an 
effort to get the members of that team back for the event. 
A great banquet, surpassing anything ever before attempted 
at that institution closed the day. 

Football Pow-Wow. 

A football pow-pow, held on the evening after the big 
game of the season, is one of the chief features of the "home- 
coming" of Miami alumni. Earlier in the evening, the "M" 
men, both undergraduates and graduates, dine together, the 
pow-wow follows. This consists of songs, speeches and light 
refreshments. The pow-wows have proved popular with the 
alumni and have likewise appealed to the undergraduates. 
Following the pow-wow, the fraternities hold smokers for 
their own alumni. 

A Minstrel Show. 

A successful minstrel show, in which alumni, students 
and faculty took part, was planned and put through by the 
alumni of North Dakota. The proceeds went to the alumni 
association; the idea of an alumni-student entertainment ap- 
pealed alike to the alumni, the students and the administra- 
tion. 



Alumni Meetings 129 

A Valentine Party. 

A Valentine party was held at Minnesota a few years 
ago. The first president of the university, who is still living 
and whose birthday fell on St. Valentine's day, furnished the 
excuse for moving the annual meeting forward a few days. 
Minnesota has three living presidents and heart-shaped cards 
were sent out to all the alumni, who were requested to write 
a Valentine greeting to each of the three and send them to 
the association to be presented at this meeting. Several hun- 
dred responded, enough to make the affair really worth while. 
The decorations for the evening were appropriate for the oc- 
casion and Valentines were presented to certain well-known 
alumni by other alumni equally as well known. The whole 
affair worked out well. These presentations by alumni were 
staged so as to come in a certain order without announcement 
and with apparent spontaneity. 

AlumnI Day Program. 

At the State University of Iowa, the senior frolic on 
alumni day is one of its chief features. The seniors of each 
college are responsible for putting on some feature for the 
occasion. The frolic is usually preceded by a baseball game 
and is sometimes followed by a picnic supper. As a sample 
of some of the stunts, the senior dental students had an enor- 
mous tooth mounted on a wagon and proceeded to prepare it 
for filling. What they didn't take out of that tooth isn't worth 
mentioning. The medics once performed an operation for ap- 
pendicitis and removed an immense link of bologna sausage 
from a stuffed figure with a scythe, and at another time gave 
a burlesque on Dr. Friedmann. The law students tried Theo- 
dore Roosevelt, and it was "some" trial. The engineers built 
a railroad and ran a small engine over the track. The other 
colleges were each represented and the plan worked out very 
successfully. v 

Two Alumni Days. 

Cornell University has two alumni days, Friday and Sat- 
urday before Baccalaureate Sunday. Special effort is made 
to get the three, five, fifteen and twenty year classes back. 



130 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

Visiting the University and a program of amusements makes 
up part of the affair but the chief feature is the Forum, or 
convention, as it is now called, where the alumni get together 
and seriously discuss institutional problems, such as student 
relation to the university, scholarship, etc. The program is 
made up from suggestions made by the various local associa- 
tions, the suggestions being studied by a committee which 
arranges the program. 

Spring Day. 

Spring day, at Cornell, which usually comes late in May, 
attracts many of the younger alumni who prefer its excite- 
ment and carnival spirit to alumni day at commencement. 
The program of spring day often includes a circus and carnival 
and promotes a spirit of frivolity and good fun. The day 
closes with the crew races which often last until dark. 

Reunion Concert. 

A reunion concert by the glee club forms a feature of 
alumni day celebration at Oberlin college. The current col- 
lege glee club forms the nucleus and as many members of 
former glee clubs as can be reached and persuaded to return 
are brought in and sometimes from fifty to seventy-five mem- 
bers of the glee clubs are present to take part in the program 
which includes not only singing, but clever vaudeville stunts 
of various kinds. The concert has become one of the real 
features of commencement week at Oberlin. 

An Institutional Order. 

Admission to an institutional order, as for example, at 
Wisconsin it might be the "Order of the Badger,*' affords an 
opportunity for much ingenuity and the staging of a real hit. 
It can be announced that some alumnus, to be named, will 
initiate ^name some prominent alumnus who has done some- 
thing really worth while during the past year) into the order. 
The man or woman to be initiated may then be "grilled** to 
any desired extent and as far as circumstances of the case 
justify, but ending with an expression of appreciation from the 
alumni for the accomplishments of the individual chosen for 



Alumni Meetings 131 

the ceremony. It is believed that such an order could be made 
a feature of every annual meeting and that initiation into the 
order could be made something for v^hich the candidate would 
gladly undergo the grilling to v^hich he v^ould be subjected. 

A Mock Senate. 

A mock college senate, faculty or deans meeting affords no 
end of opportunity for good fun and permits of driving home, 
in an effective v^^ay, of alumni ideas concerning various mat- 
ters before the authorities of the college. It is all important 
that the thing be well planned and put through with snap, 
for if it begins to drag there is nothing more distressing and 
lacking in point. 

An Alumni University. 

The (apparently impromptu) organization of an alumni 
university and the voting of degrees to alumni in recogni- 
tion of their well-known foibles, is very effective when prop- 
erly worked out. Some prominent alumnus can be presented 
with a thermometer with a statement that since there seemed 
to be no degree that exactly fitted his case it had been decided 
to give him all the degrees there are. 

Class Rivalry. 

Rivalry in staging class stunts forms the basis of very 
successful alumni day affairs at Worcester Polytechnic insti- 
tute. Each five year reunion class is responsible for a stunt 
and each tries to outdo the others. Brass bands and mascots 
are much in evidence and rather more than one-fourth of the 
1,500 alumni of the institution get back for alumni day. 

Capitalizing Class Spirit. 

^ Class yells and class rivalry are always enjoyable. If 
two live classes can be seated on opposite sides of the hall 
and start challenging each other with class yells and songs, 
no end of good fun can be stirred up. Such things can be 
worked up by enlisting the help of a group of live alumni 
from each class. If the two classes were rivals while in 



132 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

college it will add greatly to the feeling displayed and the 
consequent enjoyment of members of those classes and other 
clas-ses as well. 

A Fake Scrap. 

A first-class fake scrap, when properly staged, is one 
of the most effective ways of breaking up formality. The 
scrap should be prepared with care, no one outside those en- 
gaged in it should know what is coming — if the presiding 
officer can be kept in ignorance of the plan it is all the better 
— and it should be "pulled off" with such precision that no 
one outside the confidence of those in the game will- break in 
and upset the prearranged plans. When the scrap is at its 
height a banner may be unrolled, where everybody can see it, 
containing proper inscriptions to put the crowd wise. 

An Original Play. 

An original play that has application to institutional con- 
ditions will often make a hit. It is essential, however, that 
such a play be made short and very pointed and that it be 
couched in such language as to show that the hits are all 
good natured, so as not to offend the good taste of any of the 
alumni who may have a specially warm spot in their hearts for 
those who are caricatured. 

Songs and Parodies. 

There is nothing else that will take the place of good 
live singing at alumni affairs. If a group of eight or ten 
men and women, or men or women alone, can get together 
before the meeting and plan to be ready to break in at any 
time (without announcement) and sing a verse of some pop- 
ular college song or a parody that has an application that will 
appeal to the alumni, it will make any alumni meeting a suc- 
cess. If there is but one verse it should be repeated and the 
whole crowd should be urged to join in the repetition. 

- Impersonations. 

Every alumni body has one or more individuals who are 
clever impersonators. It is always effective to have such a 
person give impersonations of persons connected with the 



Alumni Meetings 133 

college. For instance, such a man could hold a faculty meet- 
ing all by himself and make four or five short speeches, that 
would be at once recognized as coming from some well- 
known college character, and the whole range from, president 
to scrub woman are legitimate game in this line. 

Fake Telegrams. 

Fake telegrams and special delivery letters are easily 
handled and are capable of being worked for genuine hits. 
They also have the advantage that ^hey may be worked in at 
any time when there is need of action to tide over an unex- 
pected delay in the program. These can frequently be faked 
on the spot by the presiding officer and made to fit an unfor- 
seen occasion. 

Cartoons. 

Cartoons of college life and events, thrown on a screen 
with a lantern, always make a hit, if the cartoons have real 
point. .The technical execution of the drawing is of less im- 
portance than an idea which will appeal to the alumni. These 
can be used at affairs to be held at the institution or alumni 
gatherings at a distance. 

A Presentation. 

Presentations of cut glass which is to be accidently 
broken just as it is to be turned over to the recipient, and the 
sudden discovery that the cut glass cost 79c at some well- 
known store, is somewhat outworn, but still there are times 
when it can be worked to good advantage. 



XIII. MISCELLANEOUS ALUMNI ACTIVITIES. 

In the following paragraphs are set forth many important 
ideas concerning alumni activities in various lines. The para- 
graphs have been grouped so as to bring, as closely as possible, 
similar lines of endeavor together. 

Alumni Records. 

Aside from the records which are gathered and preserved 
through class secretary activities, it is essential to any general 
alumni work to have certain records of alumni kept in one 
central office. Three records are absolutely essential for such 
work. First — An alphabetical list, showing the chief facts 
about each alumnus which it is found desirable to keep. Just 
what record is kept on this card depends upon the needs of 
the particular association in its work for the institution and 
the purpose in keeping up such records. Certain facts must, 
of course, be given — such as full name, class and degrees, 
present address, business. This information is sometimes 
given in connection with the class list and this list simply 
shows the name, degrees and years when received. Second — 
A class list, giving the members of the class in one place. 
Often it is found desirable to keep the fullest information con- 
cerning the individual in connection with the class list. It is 
always desirable to keep as much information as is suggested 
as a minimum under the alphabetical list, in the class list. 
Third — The geographical list is vital to any concerted alumni 
action. The two things most vital for this list are business 
and class. It has been found convenient to keep this list on 
stencils for automatic addressing machine. This makes it 
possible to keep the list constantly up to date and also makes 
it possible to furnish an up to date list at any time on a mo- 
ment's notice. A great deal more information may be kept 
in connection with any of these lists, but it is believed that 
the plan suggested above gives what is vital to furnish a basis 
for effective alumni activity. 

134 



Miscellaneous Activities 135 

KEEPING Up Alumni Lists. 

The alumni lists at the University of Michigan are kept 
by the University on addressograph plates, so that all the 
alumni or any division may be addressed at once. The list 
is arranged geographically, with a series of tabs on each plate, 
so arranged that the men or the women, or the graduates of 
any department, can be addressed separately. There are more 
than 35,000 addresses in this list. 

Alumnae Clubs. 

Co-educational institutions have found a real problem in 
arranging for alumni meetings. While it is agreed that the 
larger and more important meetings, and all business meet- 
ings, should be open alike to both men and women graduates, 
experience has taught the desirability of occasionally holding 
meetings to which only men or women alone are invited. It is 
possible to get men together at a smoker or other function 
to which the men alone are invited, when it would not be 
possible to get many of those same men out to a co-educa- 
tional meeting. Many co-educational institutions have found 
it possible and profitable to organize alumni clubs for men 
and alumnae clubs for women and to hold joint meetings 
whenever it is found desirable. There are many matters 
in which the women alone are particularly interested and for 
which they can work more effectively as women. Michigan 
has worked along this line for many years with considerable 
success, and has ten or twelve alumnae associations. At Min- 
nesota the Minneapolis alumnae have organized a club and 
have enlisted the support of the alumnae and former students 
in the furnishing of a house where women students secure 
board and room, on a co-operative plan, at greatly reduced 
rates. 

This problem is complicated by the fact that at co-educa- 
tional alumni meetings, the men bring their wives and the 
women their husbands, many of whom never had any con- 
nection whatever with the institution. This introduces an 
element not discordant, but to a degree unresponsive to the 
spirit of the occasion. The success of the beginnings along 
this line seems to predicate the increase of such organizations. 



136 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

Alumni on Governing Boards of State Universities. 

Kentucky has a law, its passage v^as secured by the 
alumni of the University of Kentucky, giving the alumni the 
right to elect three members of the board of trustees, requir- 
ing the governor to appoint a certain number of alumni to 
the board and allov^^ing the alumni to name three of the mem- 
bers of the executive committee of the board from the alumni. 
While it is the rare exception that the alumni of a state in- 
stitution have the direct selection of the governing board or 
any of its members, as a matter of fact, such boards usually 
have a large percentage alumni among their number, and the 
alumni do more or less directly have much influence in select- 
ing the personnel of nearly all state institutions. In states 
where the governor appoints the members he usually recog- 
nizes alumni sentiment and in states where the boards are 
elected, the alumni become active in securing the election of 
men or women who give promise of rendering the state good 
service on the governing board of the University. 

Advisory Alumni Membership. 

Advisory Alumni Membership on the board of trustees is 
a plan which has worked well at the University of Alabama. 
Two members are elected by the alumni who sit in with the 
trustees and may take part in the discussions but have no 
vote. It has been found that these two members exert a verv 
strong influence upon decisions made by the trustees. These 
members are, of course, responsible to the alumni and are ex- 
pected to report to the alumni. 

Alumni Debt. 

The state has invested at least $1,000 in every one of the 
alumni. At two per cent a year, it would take $20 a year to 
merely keep up the interest on that investment. Alumni dues 
assist in effective work for the institution. 

Alumni Interest. 

A potent means of arousing alumni interest in the institu- 
tion is to hold frequent meetings that will bring the alumni to- 



Miscellaneous Activities 137 

gether and keep alive their interest in each other and so the in- 
stitution. Such meetings are sure to result in service. 

Alumni Responsibility. 

A university is not what the alumni say it is, but it is what 
the alumni make it. The alumni are the permanent body about 
the university. The faculty and the officers are merely transi- 
tory. So it falls upon the alumni to back up the school and get 
behind the movements started for its advancement. 

The Appeal to the Alumnus. 

In the small institution with its limited alumni body, the 
appeal can be made almost personal in every case and this fact 
argues conditions that m^kes any appeal based on common sense 
effective. The need of the college is sufficient incentive and it 
becomes a question of how to present that need to the individual 
alumnus. In the larger institutions it is different. Any appeal 
will reach many of the alumni, no appeal will reach some alumni, 
and the remaining alumni can be reached if the appeal is made 
that will bring to them a sense of their duty or privilege to do 
something for the institution which has done so much for them. 
The problem is one that each individual alumni association must 
meet, because in no two institutions are conditions precisely simi- 
lar. The alumnus should be made to feel that by keeping in 
touch with the alumni organization he is keeping up his citizen- 
ship in the republic of culture and science and doing his part to 
maintain the high intellectual standards which such an institution 
as this implies. Personal responsibility is suggested, in a strik- 
ing way, by the following: 

"What kind of an association would ours be 
If all of its members were just like me?" 

Arousing Alumni Interest. 

It is the almost universal verdict of alumni secretaries that 
the best time to get hold of the alumni is before they graduate. 
The senior who ties up with the alumni association before he 
graduates is never sorry for it, and, on the contrary, is ever 
thankful that he did so. The best way to get hold of seniors is 
to get members of the class so interested in the matter that they 



138 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

will appoint a committee to canvass the class and make the mem- 
bers feel that it is the thing to do to line up with the alumni. 
This lining up with the alumni may take various forms, but all 
will be alike in this, that the senior will sign up obligating himself 
to identify himself with the work of the association for a definite 
number of years. The usual form is to call for the making of 
partial payments on a life membership plan, to include also a sub- 
scription to the alumni publication. In another place is described 
a plan for senior insurance for some special object. 

Capitalizing Alumni Enthusiasm. 

This is the first purpose of an alumni association. The aver- 
age alumnus has boundless enthusiasm for his college and every- 
thing connected therewith. It is the business of the association 
to see that this enthusiasm is directed into channels that will re- 
sult in service to the institution. Whatever form of organization 
may be adopted, those who are responsible for the organization 
should remember that the primary purpose of any alumni organ- 
ization is service to the institution. There need be no fear of over 
organization if the various groups are provided with important 
work to do. Anything worth doing carries its own appeal. 

Recognize Natural Alumni Interest. 

For many years one institution has issued a bulletin of in- 
formation which has been sent twice each year to all the alumni. 
The bulletin has noted both college and alumni activities and 
has played a very important part in the securing of alumni at- 
tention which must underlie the development of alumni interest 
and support. 

Trustees Report to Alumni. 

Reports to the trustees of the University of Pennsylvania are 
made annually by nine committees, each reporting upon the re- 
sults of its investigations and observations of a single division of 
the University organization. These reports, for the most part are 
very thorough and represent real thought about and study of 
the problems of the various divisions of the institution. These 
reports are published in the alumni magazine as well as sent to 
the trustees of the University. 



Miscellaneous Activities 139 

A Tri-lemma. 

One institution has used the following device for arousing 
interest and securing replies to circulars sent out. With the ap- 
peal, which was made as strong as possible, there went three 
coupons. 

First : "I am very much interested in your undertaking and 
I am willing to contribute dollars per year." 

The second read : "I am very much interested in your un- 
dertaking but at present find it impracticable to make any con- 
tribution but hope to do so in the future." 

The third read : "I am totally uninterested in the whole un- 
dertaking and do not wish to be bothered." 

You can imagine what the alumnus would do when up 
against such a proposition. 

Class Fund Plan. 

Each Yale class now, on graduation, established what is 
called a class fund, which is turned over to the secretary. A sub- 
scription of ten dollars a man creates a fund of about three thou- 
sand dollars, and that fund is invested and held for the benefit of 
the class. The interest is used, and, when necessary, the prin- 
cipal. The class books, as they come along, are usually not paid 
for out of this class fund, but they are paid for by subscription 
again from the class. When there is a book which costs $600.00, 
an assessment of three dollars on each man is made, but the 
book is sent to every man. The deficit from the number who 
don't pay, a third of the class, possibly, is made up by making 
the assessment extra large for those who do pay or by drawing 
on the class fund. This class fund is held by the class secretary, 
or whoever he delegates, to meet postage charges, etc., deficits 
from class dinners and reunions. It is in general a fund for gen- 
eral class use. At the death of the last survivor of the class the 
fund becomes the property of the university. 

Class Reunion Funds. 

Class reunion funds are provided in a novel way by some 
of the classes of Columbia University. Briefly stated, the plan 
is — The class fixes upon the amount to be raised for some re- 
union or reunions some years in advance. The class then takes 



140 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

out endowment insurance upon the lives of some members of 
the class. The premiums are paid by the class members and the 
money received from the maturing of the policies goes to the 
class for its use in celebrating the reunion for which the fund was 
raised. 

Class Birthday Greetings. 

This plan involves simply the publication of the birthdays of 
class members — the year is not necessary. This list is sent to all 
class members with the suggestion that it would be a pleasant 
practice if members of the class would remember, with a post 
card or letter, the birthday of each member of the class as it 
comes along. With older and smaller classes this is particularly 
enjoyable. 

Circularizing. 

Experience has shown that letters sent out through the class 
officers are far more effective than when sent out direct from the 
alumni association. The class is the natural unit and the class 
officer knows what will appeal to his class as no one else can 
know. The work may be mostly done in the general office but 
the letters sent out should bear the unmistakable marks of class 
authorship and the signature of some member or members of 
the class who mean something to the class. The class officer, 
when signing the letters, can often put in just a word or tAvo 
that will give it a personal touch that will pull when nothing else 
will. This has been demonstrated many times. 

Gathering Personal News Items. > 

At Minnesota it has been found helpful to request personal 
items when sending out bills for the alumni publication. The 
bill is made the size of a full letter sheet and the lower half, which 
is left blank, is headed — "Please send in some personal notes 
concerning yourself and friends — use this blank." Thousands 
of items are secured in this way. Frequently, from two to a 
dozen interesting personal items will come in on a single sheet. 
Probably two-thirds of the items received come in response to 
this invitation. Michigan has successfully followed the plan of 
devoting one number, partly at least, to the affairs of some one 
local alumni association, with a general article, either from the 



Miscellaneous Activities 141 

president or secretar}^, giving the history of the association, and 
portraits of the officers. Another section, perhaps, is devoted to 
the alumni of the same place, followed by a large number of 
personal iterns. 

Co-operation of Alumni. 

Get the alumni who have stood for something in their day 
in college to write to the alumni publication and tell of the affair 
with which they were identified and publish a recent picture of 
the writer or other persons vv'ho are mentioned in 'the article. 
This arouses interest as almost nothing else will. 

Co-OPERATION. 

The alumni association should be sensible of its place in 
the great movement of college and university men in our national 
life. Co-operation among the alumni of the various colleges has 
not proceeded very far yet, though in some of the larger centers 
of population there are organizations for social service, aiming 
to employ the graduates of all colleges in civic and social im- 
provement. This movement is spreading and is rich in promise. 
Such co-operation has done much already, in the places where 
it has been established, to carry alumni organizations beyond the 
problems and needs of their own institutions into the broader 
field of public life, and we may expect a greater development in 
the future. The possibilities are almost limitless. 

The Worth-While Attracts. 

The alumni are interested in the serious and worth vrhile 
things about the institution; if a speaker will put his heart into 
the matter, and talk of the serious things in an interesting way, 
he will be as welcome as though he discussed athletics or any 
other never-failing topic of interest. 

Reaching the Alumni. 

Those engaged in alumni association work have long realized 
the fact that the alumni publication does not reach many of those 
most in need of it. Those who have grown indifferent and who 
only need what the alumni publication provides, to make them 
actively interested in the institution and the work of the associa- 



142 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

tion for the institution. Northwestern University has attempted 
to overcome this difficulty by the publication of a Quarterly, 
which is sent to every alumnus of the university whose address 
is known. The publication contains a digest of the current news 
and life of the institution. It is complete enough so that the 
alumnus who will take time to read it will have a fairly com- 
prehensive grasp of what is going on at the university for the 
year. 

Special Offers. 

Experience teaches that the special offer, even with alumni 
who should need no such inducement, has a certain pulling power. 
The offer may not be one that involves much money but it should 
be something that has a sentimental value and should be some- 
thing, if possible, connected with the institution, such as pic- 
tures, books, trinkets, buttons, pins, emblems of various sorts. 

Keep in Touch with the Alma Mater. 

A prominent alumnus, for many years a careful student of 
college problems, urges greater companionship, — comradeship, 
he expresses it — of alumni and students. Alumni should visit 
the college regularly, systematically, see as much as possible of 
the students, enter into the student life and experience, and prove 
their professed personal interest. Students welcome such asso- 
ciation with great-hearted, red-blooded, clear-headed alumni, and 
show themselves quick to take advantage and to seek counsel. 
A prominent New York professional man made a practice of 
visiting his own college six times a year, in this way. He kept 
up the practice for eight years, and he considers his half hun- 
dred week ends at his alma mater among the richest experiences 
of his crowded life. It is interesting to know the emphasis 
placed by college students upon alumni influence and co-opera- 
tion. An able student in a middle west college placed emphasis 
in this order : First, personal good citizenship of alumni ; second, 
sending strong students to the college; third, personal visits to 
the institution; fourth, gifts. At the Massachusetts Institute 
of Technology, the students have welcomed the action of the 
alumni council in establishing a system of advisory councils, 
which affect almost every branch of student life and activity. 



Miscellaneous Activities 143 

Nomination for positions on these various councils are made by 
the alumni, but must be approved by the undergraduates before 
they become effective. From a selfish standpoint alone, the 
alumnus who fails to keep in touch with the institution which 
gave him his training is losing more than he can know of the 
benefit which he might reap by simply keeping up that relation- 
ship. 

Life Memberships. 

Organized Alumni work to be of permanent value, must be 
assured of continued and adequate support. There is but one 
way in which this can be assured and that is by an endowment. 
The usual way of providing for this endowment is by the sale 
of life memberships, for a definite sum paid at one time or in 
installments which will net the association what the endowment 
would if paid at once — that is, if paid in installments the pay- 
ments should be so increased as to provide for an income from 
the membership while it is being paid. Experience has shown 
that it is wise to have this membership large enough so as to 
provide for the furnishing of the alumni publication free to life 
members. Thirty-five dollars seems to be an adequate sum for 
this purpose and may be made payable over a period of seven 
years. 

Insurance Endowment. 

This is a plan that is beginning to find favor among graduat- 
ing classes. The plan calls for members of the senior class to 
take out policies for $100 each, on the twenty-payment plan. 
When fully paid, the face value of the policy would be available 
to any particular purpose agreed upon when it was taken out. 
In this way classes are able to make gifts that would otherwise be 
out of the question, and the burden upon the particular individual 
is not heavy. It also makes it possible for the comparatively 
poor to feel that they, too, can have a part in the plans for doing 
something for the institution. 

Insurance Plan Appeals. 

Insurance endowment is a comparatively recent idea. The 
plan has been successfully instituted in a number of institutions 



144 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

notably at California and Vanderbilt. In California, in 1915, 
four hundred and eighteen members of a class of 1,000 signed 
pledges to take out individual policies of $100 each. These poli- 
cies run for twenty years and the individual keeps up the annual 
payments which are very small, and the University receives the 
face value of the policy at the end of the twenty year period. 

At Vanderbiit University, the 1915 senior class, 200 strong, 
was brought together for a banquet, and the plan was submitted 
and 96 members signed up then and there. A committee was 
appointed to place the matter before other members of the class, 
and later, pledges from practically every member of the class 
were received. This means that the class of 1915 is carrying 
life insurance to the total amount of $20,000, and that the Uni- 
versity will in 1935, profit to that extent by the contributions of 
a single class. The plan has many features to commend it. It 
distributes the financial burden over a period of years so that 
it is scarcely felt and insures a gift to the institution that is a 
substantial addition to the regular income. 

Increasing the Life Membership List. 

The General Alumni Association of the University of Minne- 
sota felt the need of increasing its life membership list which 
at that time was 1750. It was decided to ask fifty alumni to 
contribute $100 each, conditioned upon 1,000 other alumni tak- 
ing out life memberships and paying for the same at $10 each. 
It took nearly a year to put the plan through, but it was done and 
the endowment fund of the association was increased from $17,- 
500 to $32,500, which will yield an annual income of about $1,900. 
This association expects to increase this fund to $50,000 at least. 
to assure the adequate and continued support of the work of 
the association for the University. 

Pool Calls on Alumni. 

To eliminate the promiscuous soliciting of alumni for funds, 
the Iowa State College alumni association has created a com- 
mittee to pass upon all calls, that are made by the organizations 
of that institution, upon the alumni. The alumni understand 
that unless the call bears the O. K. of this committee, it has no 
claim upon them. 



Miscellaneous Activities 145 

Utilize Alumni in Extension Work. 

At North Dakota, the alumni secretary is a member of the 
extension staff of the institution. His work takes him all over 
the state and he is thus able to get in personal touch with a very 
large number of the alumni. He also makes use of the alumni 
in developing extension work of the university. 

Inter-College Co-operation. 

A plan of co-operation has been devised by the alumni asso- 
ciations of the State University of Iowa and the Iowa State Col- 
lege. The purpose being to eliminate misrepresentations in the 
press and to work together in the campaign before the legislature 
for state support for both institutions. The plan is worked 
through a joint committee. The executive committees of the 
two associations also meet annually at the time of the football 
game between the two institutions. 

A Partnership Club House. 

A partnership club house has been suggested by the Purdue 
alumni of New York City, who are trying to work out the idea, 
and determine its practicability. The plan is substantially this, 
that the alumni of a group of middle western universities should 
combine their resources and erect a club house for the use of the 
alumni of those universities residing in New York City. No 
definite plan of organization has yet been proposed, but an effort 
is being made to determine whether the proposition can be made 
practical. " 

The Laboring Man and the State University. 

Several years ago, a laboring man, who was a member of 
the legislature of the state of Illinois, went to President James 
and said — in substance — *T am not unfriendly to the University, 
but I do not see what the University is doing that is of benefit 
to me as a laboring man. Why should the laboring man support 
the University?" 

President James turned this man over to an officer of the 
University, qualified to show him what he wanted to know, and 
they went about the institution, from building to building, from 
laboratory to laboratory; the man saw what the University was 
really doing in its various branches. After one day spent in this 



146 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

way, the man returned to President James, and said: "I am 
completely satisfied and will stand for anything that you feel 
is necessary for the support of the University." 

A Graduate Council. 

Graduate Council form of Organization for the college asso- 
ciation has proved effective in places where it has been tried. 
One form of this council is to have a representative from each 
class and perhaps half as many more representatives chosen at 
large. These representatives elect officers and appoint commit- 
tees. As the work is largely under the direction of such com- 
mittees, the whole field of alumni activities is covered by appro- 
priate committees. Adelbert College of Western Reserve Uni- 
versity has six committees as follows : Executive ; alumni inter- 
ests; alumni records; publicity; secondary schools; finance. 

Utilizes Hotels. 

The Michigan Agricultural College alumni association main- 
tains at one hotel in each of the leading towns of the state of 
Michigan, a list of graduates and former students of that insti- 
tution, living in or near the city. The lists are used by the ex- 
tension lecturers of the college who are traveling over the state 
constantly. The plan also proves an inducement to the hotel 
men to advertise in the alumni publication. 

For a Graduation Present. 

A suggestion, for a graduation present, is made to the 
parents of members of the senior class of the University of 
Pennsylvania, by the General Alumni Society. This society sends 
out each year, a card suggesting that a bond for $100, made 
over to the society in the name of the one about to graduate, will 
provide him a life membership, including the alumni publication 
and any other rights and privileges which attach to such mem- 
bership. 

Center of Celebration. 

"Monnett Day" at Ohio Wesleyan University is the day 
when the women of the University entertain their mothers with 
a regular May day program. The alumnae return for this event. 



Miscellaneous Activities 147 

which usually comes late in May. The day receives its name 
from the donor of the women's gymnasium. 

University Service to Its Alumni. 

1. Any institution, . will find it worth while to welcome the 
expression of alumni interest in the institution; 2. Provision for 
the expression of alumni opinion in the selection of members of 
the governing board ; 3. Inviting alumni to inspect the institution 
and formally express their opinions upon their findings ; 4. Show 
a disposition to meet the alumni half way, taking them into the 
adi^inistration's confidence, and if unable to follow alumni sug- 
gestions explain the reason ; 5. The institution can serve its pur- 
pose by providing for directing graduates in courses of reading 
and study for which certificates may be awarded ; 6. Set a day 
and invite the alumni back to visit classes and laboratories and 
provide some sort of entertainment for them that will give the 
alumni a real taste of University life ; 7. The establishment of a 
bureau of appointments with the idea of placing men where they 
can make good use of their University training and rendering a 
real service to society by bringing the man and the work which 
he is fitted to do together. 

Alumni Badges and Buttons. 

Michigan has found, from experience, that badges and but- 
tons are always popular. Every alumnus who attends the re- 
union receives a badge; classes are given a button bearing the 
class numerals and a bit of ribbon in University colors. These 
badges are given only when the alumnus registers at headquar- 
ters. A special alumni bronze button is also provided for all 
whose magazine subscriptions are paid up to date. The registra- 
tions are so complete that any alumnus can easily locate any 
other alumnus during commencement week, by consulting a 
bulletin, upon which the names of alumni in attendance, arranged 
by classes, are posted, as soon as they register. Wisconsin tried 
a plan of furnishing its alumni badges— 'T am a live wire, are 
you?" "I have paid my dues, have you?" 



148 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

College Spirit. 

The alumni are largely responsible for college spirit, and 
whether it is desirable or undesirable depends very much upon 
the attitude which the alumni take upon live issues before the 
institution. 

Handbook for the Alumni. 

The Alumni Association of the University of Michigan has 
made a practice for the past ten years of publishing a handbook 
of information for alumni at the reunions every June. This book 
is given to everyone who registers at the alumni room. It con- 
tains, in addition to a complete program of the whole alumni 
week, details as to registration, entertainment, rooms, boarding, 
etc., a map of the city, a list of the officers of the University, a 
short description of the University, and a guide to the various 
buildings. The schedule of the Dix reunion plan is also included, 
as well as the local train tables. The whole makes a twenty- four- 
page booklet with cover. 



XIV. PERTINENT PARAGRAPHS. 

"The alumni body is a conservator— a balance wheel." L. N. 
Flint, Kansas. 

"The influence of the alumni upon the undergraduate body 
is an important feature of alumni work." C. L. Jenks, Dart- 
mouth. 

"The best men belong." John A. Lomax, Texas. 

"The secret of success in local alumni association work is 
to give the alumni something to do for the University and for 
the community in which they live." W. B. Shaw, Michigan. 

"There has been a reaction against the idea of efficiency as 
the end of education." Chancellor Jordan, Leland Stanford Uni- 
versity. 

"In season and out of season, I believe that secretaries, of 
state universities especially, should preach the doctrine, that in 
one form or another, every beneficiary of a state university 
should return to the institution what he received from it." John 
A. Lomax, Texas. 

"I do not think there is any phase of college work with such 
enormous possibilities. I hope that institutions that do not real- 
ize this will not disgrace the name of alumni secretary by em- 
ploying as secretary a failure and a mollycoddle. I hope they 
will not attempt to employ an alumni secretary to serve as cam- 
paign manager to raise money for temporary purposes. Such 
conception of the work is too low. The work of the alumni sec- 
retary is not that of a beggar, though we do want to remind 
alumni of their obligations to Alma Mater. It is not the work 
of the impractical preacher, a mere advocate, a mere booster, a 
mere clerk, a mere scholar. It should combine the best qualities 
of all these. The field is broad enough to make use of such 
qualities as we seek in college presidents." Charles Cason, Van- 
derbilt. 

149 



150 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

The beatitudes. The alumni secretary suffereth long and 
is kind; the alumni secretary envieth not; the alumni secretary 
vaunteth not himself, is not puffed up, doth not behave himself 
unseemly; seeketh not his own, is not easily provoked, thinketh 
no evil; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, 
endureth all things. The alumni secretary never faileth; but 
whether there be university trustees, they shall fail ; but whether 
there be presidents, they shall cease; whether there shall be 
college professors, they shall vanish away. But when that which 
is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 
And now abideth college president, college professors and alumni 
secretaries, but the greatest of these is the alumni secretary — if 
he doeth his job. John A. Lomax, Texas. 

"I am not working for Yale, but for Lux et Veritas. Simi- 
larly, at other colleges, we are not working for them but for the 
ideals ^or which the college stands." E. R. Embree, Yale. 

"A university is not what the alumni say it is, but it is what 
the alumni make it. We must impress upon our alumni that 
they themselves must be representative men. We and they must 
take care not to be misrepresentative." H. S. Warwick, Ohio 
State. 

"He (the graduate of a large university) must realize that 
by keeping in touch with the alumni organization he is keeping 
up his citizenship in the republic of culture and science and doing 
his part to maintain the high , intellectual standards which such 
an institution implies." Frank W. Dignan, Chicago. 

"The best way to make every graduate a member of the 
alumni association is to get the seniors before they leave." Ward 
M. Jones, Iowa State College. 

"The purpose of every alumni association should be, to sub- 
stitute organized alumni loyalty for unorganized good will and 
to secure the maximum of efficiency for every ounce of alumni 
effort invested." E. B. Johnson, Minnesota. 

"The community judges and will continue to judge a college 
by what its sons are and do. * * * Let the alumni assist in 
emphasizing the ideal that the college and university are a train- 
ing for life and citizenship." D. C. Matthews, Western Reserve. 



Pertinent Paragraphs 151 

"Plan your work — Then work your plan." A. D. Butter- 
field, Worcester. 

"But it is important that the work be well worth doing, 
* * * The big job carries its own appeal." D. C. Matthews, 
Western Reserve. 

"College forms for a man, the inspirations of a life time, 
the opportunities of a life time, and the friendships of a life 
time." Thomas Connally, Georgia. 

"The class secretary ought to begin operations as soon as the 
freshman class is organized." F. W. Scott, Illinois. 

"Criticism, even though temporarily, it stings and hurts, 
cannot but be helpful in the end, provided it be made in the right 
spirit and is followed by constructive ideas to remedy defects." 
L. P. Lochner, Wisconsin. 

"The highest service of the alumni organization is to bring 
to the service of the college the very best that the sober judg- 
ment of an awakened and enlightened alumni body is capable of 
producing." E. B. Johnson, Minnesota. 

"Here, it seems to me, lies one of the great fields for or- 
ganized effort on the part of the alumni association — to become 
the medium between the university and the alumnus, to act as 
interpreter when necessary, keeping alive in the spirit of the busy 
alumnus the academic love of learning for its own sake, and 
to bring into the life of the University a spirit of progress and 
efficiency from the outside world. * * * It should welcome the 
criticism of hard-headed alumni to the end that the university 
may not march out of step with the times." W. B. Shaw, Michi- 
gan. 

"One of the qualifications of a class secretary * * is 
the power to thrive in obscurity. Whoever may run with the 
leaders * * hidden back in the dust are the wheel-horses who 
are really making the wheels go round. * * a class secretary 
is one of the wheel-horses." W. F. Sheldon, Wesleyan. 

"If local clubs can foster and disseminate it (loyalty to the 
college) their existence is well worth while." W. W. Rowlee, 
Cornell. 



152 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

"The local association, often a loosely organized group, 
meeting in a desultory way once or twice a year, may be trans- 
formed into an energetic organization and a constructive force by 
accepting some worthy mission. Alumni organizations, like 
human muscles, become flabby when not exercised." D. C. 
Matthews, Western Reserve. 

"There is always the danger in the larger endowed universi- 
ties, when they depend too greatly upon the gifts from the 
wealthier classes of America, that they become ultra conserva- 
tive. It is only by the coming in of alumni influence that such 
danger can be removed." Glenn Frank, Northwestern. 

"Alumni service rendered the undergraduates, seems, in our 
case, to have laid the foundation for the best alumni spirit, and 
therefore, has served the alumni themselves." Walter Hum- 
phreys, M. I. T. 

"If the college (alumni) paper has any excuse for being at 
all, it is to get read, and to reach this result there is but one road, 
and that is to get out a publication which of its own enlivening 
and spirited and interesting character will make its subscribers 
want to read it." Edwin Oviatt, Yale. 

"The alumni of a state university are first of all good citi- 
zens; they desire for the University only what all good citizens 
desire — whatever may be necessary to make the university of 
the greatest service to the state. They should ask for nothing 
for the university which cannot be secured by the fullest and 
frankest publicity. The only respect in which the relation of the 
alumnus differs from that of any other citizen of the state, is in 
the knowledge of its needs and possibilities and a feeling of 
personal gratitude." E. B. Johnson (Minnesota). 

"The very greatest thing any alumnus can do for his institu- 
tion is to simply be himself, raised to his highest power for good 
in the community." Shepherd (Sewanee). 

A prominent eastern educator once said — "Many of the 
knotty problems of collegiate education would be solved at once 
if, along with the diploma, there went some sort of anaesthetic 
which would put the new graduate out of the way for ten years, 
during the awful 'young alumnus' stage, and then return him to 



Pertinent Paragraphs 153 

the college with the energy and enthusiasm of the new graduate 
and the solidity and steadiness of the older alumnus/* 

"I am inclined to think that the greatest good to the student 
of the whole organized machinery of graduate loyalty is the im- 
pression that it must give him of the permanent importance of 
his college course and college life as a factor in all work and 
activities of the outside world." E. R. Embree (Yale). 

The Ten Commandments. 

"The Ten Commandments" for all officers of Pennsyl- 
vania alumni, is a publication put out by the General Alumni 
Society. This publication, a small four-page pamphlet, contains 
some excellent alumni advice put in effective words. It is so 
good that we quote the commandments in full : 

1. Make your meetings informal by having a summer outing, 
a day in the country or on the river, with games, when you can 
do something together. Forget numbers and departments. 

2. Have your meetings at seasonable times, when traveling 
is easiest and sickness least likely. The principal use of these 
meetings is to get to know each other. 

3. Try to establish scholarships in your schools. Have the 
prominent graduates of the schools among our alumni visit and 
address them frequently. Give the schools and individuals pic- 
tures and copies of "Pennsylvania," the illustrated book about 
the University. 

4. When an alumnus among you distinguishes himself, get 
it in the papers that he is a Pennsylvania man. 

5. Classes should return to the University as often as possi- 
ble, with emphasis on five year periods. Concentrate on Alumni 
Day, June 17th. Have your class dinner then; there is most to 
attract in Commencement Week. Keep in touch with each other 
by class letter or birthday card. 

6. Work for class solidarity. Those of same age, similar 
tastes and same strivings who played and studied in the same en- 
vironment are naturally bound together. The class brings you 
back in the name of the University. 



154 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

7. Keep the central office advised of any changes of address 
in your group. Exchange lists with us every year and make an 
annual report on March 15th. 

8. When any alumnus settles in your district, give him a 
vi^elcome and make him feel the fellowship of Pennsylvania men 
everywhere. 

9. Find some one in your group who is in intimate touch 
with the newspapers, and get publicity for the University. We 
will send material. 

10. Choose your secretary with care and deliberation. The 
whole organization falls if these men do not respond, if their 
hearts and heads are not enthusiastic for Pennsylvania. If a 
press of affairs prevents active service, resign and see to it that 
a worthy secretary is chosen. Don't let the University suffer 
and your society become embarrassed. 

At your central office there are — song sheets, silk rosettes, 
small silk flags, motion films, lantern slides, seal stamping. Uni- 
versity pictures, song records, illustrated book, information. 

A Definition. 

"The best definition I can frame of an alumnus is that he is 
the devoted son of a good mother. A devoted son best serves 
a good mother by living a high and good life, in the first place, 
by remembering her in his strength and in her weakness. Alma 
Mater, our institutional mother, unlike our dear mother of flesh 
and blood, is always young, is always growing and always need- 
ing strength. She is a creature of immortal youth and deathless 
function and endless needs. There is about her an eternal 
fecundity. Young scions play about her knees in ever increasing 
numbers while her greatgrandchildren come on pilgrimages in 
her honor. 

"During my twelve years' presidency of our University I 
have met many alumni of many types in many quarters of the 
globe. I have never yet met one whose eye did not brighten 
and whose spirit did not glow at the mention of his Alma Mater. 
Some were radicals and wanted things done and done quickly 
and done differently. Others were conservatives and wanted 
nothing done. Some were progressives and saw with steady 



Pertinent Paragraphs 155 

vision the path human training ought to follow in our day. 
Others, however practical about their affairs, dissolved into senti- 
ment immediately upon entering the long walk from the post- 
office, and saw, the University, as John Hay once put it in his 
literary way, 'Through the rosy mists of memory transfigured by 
the eternal magic of what once seemed to them endless youth.' " 
Edwin A. Alderman, President of the University of Virginia. 

A State of Mind. 

"/Letters asking for money are all that I ever get from the 
University,' complained an alumnus of a state university, some 
time since. 

Rather bad, wasn't it? For four years the university had 
busied itself giving things to this young man. Why should it 
suddenly stop? 

The state had spent some $800 on him. He — or his father — 
had paid perhaps fifty dollars in fees. Wasn't it natural that 
he should open a letter from the University expecting to find at 
least the interest on his fifty? If he had paid in eight hundred 
dollars and received an education costing fifty, he would have 
felt differently. A letter asking him to support an organization 
that exists merely to help the university was indeed an absurdity. 
The letter should have contained — well, now, what should it 
have contained?" 

— The Graduate Magazine (Kansas). 

Likewise and Also. 

"Hundreds of letters have been received in the alumni office 
this fall from alumni in all sections of America, as well as for- 
eign countries. Practically all of these were enthusiastic and 
contained substantial endorsements of the program undertaken. 
There has recently come one letter, however, which has attracted 
our attention because it was so different from the rest. It is a 
remarkable document. The author must be a strange something 
himself. No one except the person addressed knows the name 
of the writer of this letter, and no one else will ever know. The 
letter has been preserved but the signature destroyed. But here 
is the letter : 

'I have had quite a number of circular communications from 
Vanderbilt, asking for donations. Is it possible that a Univer- 



156 Hand Book of Alumni Work 

sity like Vanderbilt is in such straits it is necessary to send out 
letters of solicitation to students of twenty-five or thirty years 
ago? I paid my tuition at Vanderbilt, had value received and 
consider the matter closed.' 

My dear mistreated man, you are too generous. You say 
you paid your tuition at Vanderbilt and *had value received.' 
No, no, you got nothing. You wasted the time you spent here. 
That can never be recalled, for these precious years you can 
never be repaid. 

But you probably would think more of the money than *the 
precious years' of your youth. You paid your tuition. Vander- 
bilt took it. She was bound by honor and law to give you some- 
thing in return. We need not stop here to consider the fact that 
no student pays in tuition and fees more than about one- fourth 
of the actual cost to the University of giving him his training. 
A student pays a little more than $100 a year. Against that Van- 
derbilt furnishes all the income from the endowment and the 
use of everything invested in grounds, buildings and equipment. 
To have secured these things alone would require g, tuition fee 
four times as great as the student pays. 

She can do this because of the fact that God didn't make 
everybody like the writer of this letter. He made most men 
more generous, with some vision and with some passion for 
good works. 

But leaving out all consideration of this, you still have been 
cheated. Even if you didn't pay Vanderbilt much, you paid what 
little you did pay with the understanding that Vanderbilt would 
give you something in return. She gave you nothing. She made 
a failure of you and had as well admit it, whether you do or not. 
Of course, you owe Vanderbilt nothing. The opposite is nearer 
justice. Vanderbilt really owes you something for having taken 
your 'pay' and made nothing of you. 

We have never seen the author of this letter. We want to — 
such things are always interesting. Do you suppose he ever did 
an unselfish thing in his life? Do you suppose he ever votes? 
Do you suppose he ever goes to church before the collection? 
He is the kind who would whip children on Christmas eve to 
keep them from asking for candy on Christmas Day." 

— The Vanderbilt Alumnus. 



ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 



This index is only intended to cover the material in chapters 
XI, XII and XIII which are miscellaneous in character and are 
not sufficiently characterized in the table of contents. 



Advertising Stunts 124 

Alumnae Clubs 135 

Alumni Board of Visitors 110 

Breakfast 125 

Day Date 121 

Day Specialization 122 

Serious-minded 141 

Debt 136 

On Governing Boards 136 

Records 134, 135 

And Student Affairs 110, 111 

—Student Event 128 

University 131 

University Day 116-120 

Appealing to Alumni 137 

Arousing Alumni Interest ....136, 137 

Asking Alumni Suggestions 110 

Athletics and Attendance 112 

Athletics Utilized 128 

Attracting Attendance 122 

Backing State-Wide Movements 

108, 109 

Badges and Buttons 147 

Barbecue 125 

Box Picnic 125 

Capitalizing Enthusiasm 138 

Cartoons 133 

Circularizing 140 

Class Birthday Greetings 140 

Class Fund Plan 139 

Class Reunion Funds 139 

Class Rivalry Utilized 131 

College Spirit 148 

Co-operation 141 

Costumes 125, 126 

Date for Local Reunions 122 



Dix Reunion Plan 120 

Employment Bureau 108, 109 

Fake Letters and Telegrams .... 133 

Presentation 133 

Scrap 132 

Financing Special Events 121 

Fraternity Co-operation 124 

Free dinner 125 

Gathering Personal News 140, 141 

Glee Club Concert 130 

Graduate Council 146 

Graduation Presents 146 

Help in Extension Work 145 

Hotels Utilized 146 

Housing Problem 110 

Impersonations 132 

Increasing Life Memberships.... 144 

Information Bureau 109 

Informing the Alumni 139 

Institutional Orders 130 

Insurance Financing 143 

Institutional Publicity 108, 110 

Inter-institutional Co-operation.. 145 
Invoking Initiative for Appropria- 
tions 101, 102 

Iowa celebration 129 

Laboring Man and the University 145 

Life Memberships 143 

Miami Alumni Day 127 

Mock Senate 131 

Occasions for Reunions 126, 146 

Original Play 132 

Partnership Club House 145 

Pooling Alumni Calls 144 

Publications — 

Special 106, 108, 122, 123, 124 



157 



Raising- Money 97-101, 103-105 

Reaching the Alumni 141 

Responsibility 137 

Reunion Handbook 148 

Reunion Trophy Cup 122 

Senior Speakers 127 

Songs and Parodies 132 

Special Offers 142 

Spring- Day Celebration 130 



Studying Uni-v-ersity Needs 109, 112 

Tri-lemma , 139 

Trustees Report to Alumni 138 

Two Alumni Days 129 

Valentine Party 129 

Visiting- Alma Mater 142 

What the Institution Can Do .... 147 
Working Through the Legisla- 
ture 112-114 



158 



